NEW ORLEANS — In a remarkable performance, Brandon Ingram tallied 29 points, steering the New Orleans Pelicans to a 101-94 win against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, who were missing their star player, Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP.
Ingram displayed resilience after twisting his left ankle during the second half yet remained in the game, helping the struggling Pelicans break a six-game losing streak while simultaneously halting the Nuggets’ five-game winning run.
Other contributors for New Orleans included Brandon Boston Jr., who netted 19 points, and Trey Murphy III, who added 17 to the scoreboard.
For Denver, Michael Porter Jr. was the standout scorer with 24 points, followed by Peyton Watson with 18. Jamal Murray also contributed 16 points but had difficulty finding his rhythm from distance, converting only 2 of his 8 attempts from three-point range.
Takeaways from the game revealed that the Nuggets had come into this matchup boasting a 40.4% shooting record from beyond the arc but fell short, hitting just 10 of their 37 attempts. With Jokic’s absence due to personal matters, the Pelicans exploited his absence by applying double teams on Murray, effectively stifling Denver’s offensive prowess. During the game, David Adelman stepped into the acting head coach role in lieu of Michael Malone, who stayed in Colorado to support his daughter at the state volleyball playoffs.
On the other hand, the Pelicans had previously scored 88 points in two of their last three losses but showed improved spacing and shooting form against the Nuggets. Ingram, Murphy, and Boston put up an impressive collective shooting performance, hitting 26 of 54 shots from the field.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Denver narrowed the gap to 87-86 with Russell Westbrook’s three-pointer with 6:19 remaining. However, the Pelicans responded swiftly, scoring the next eight points, including crucial three-pointers from Javonte Green and Boston, extending their lead.
Notably, Boston, in his third year out of Kentucky, has been on a scoring tear, averaging 19.9 points over his last four games.
Looking ahead, the Nuggets are set to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, while the Pelicans will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.