New Orleans lost one game apiece to Sacramento in October and November, but given how much different the Pelicans look now compared to then, those defeats may as well have been a few years ago. Behind a starting lineup Wednesday featuring four players who were not in the first string during a Nov. 3 matchup against the Kings, the Pelicans pulled away in the second half. It was New Orleans’ third straight victory since the All-Star break, following up double-digit road wins at Phoenix and the Lakers.
The hosts only led 65-61 at intermission, but held Sacramento to just 35 second-half points. A 31-21 edge in the third quarter pushed the margin to 96-82.
Tenth-place New Orleans increased its advantage to four games in the standings over 13th-place Sacramento, while also cutting its deficit behind the ninth-place Lakers (27-34) to just 1.5 games.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Brandon Ingram canned a left-wing three-pointer, followed by Herbert Jones getting an uncontested fast-break layup, giving New Orleans a 114-93 lead with 3:52 remaining. Former Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry expended a timeout, causing some fans to head to the Smoothie King Center exits.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
New Orleans wasn’t getting many defensive stops in the first half, but in the meantime Ingram kept the offense high-powered and productive. Ingram erupted for 24 points prior to intermission, getting all the way to the rim for dunks, as well as hitting a handful of mid-range buckets. After leaving the game temporarily in the second half due to taking an elbow to the face that required a couple stitches, Ingram returned and finished with 33 points on 15/19 shooting.
Pelicans head coach Willie Green said during a recent dinner in Phoenix that Green and CJ McCollum “talked about it with Brandon, that he’s one of the best players in the league. When he plays like did tonight, we all can see why.”
BY THE NUMBERS
30, 15, 28, 30: New Orleans margin of victory in its four wins with CJ McCollum in uniform.
20/25: Shooting from the field by Pelicans starting forwards Ingram and Jaxson Hayes, who was 5/6 and continues to feast on dunks and layups.
23-20: New Orleans record since starting the season 3-16. The Pelicans are 21-14 during that span when Ingram plays.
REVISITING FANDUEL KEYS TO THE GAME
KEEP ROLLING ON OFFENSE
It definitely kept rolling. The Pelicans were over the 100-point mark very early in the fourth quarter and tallied 30-plus points in each of the first three quarters.
ATTACK THE GLASS
New Orleans won rebounding by a minimal margin in its previous two losses to Sacramento, but this time held a more decisive advantage against a Kings team that ranks in the bottom 10 of board stats this season.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
In a point guard matchup of players who’ve been red-hot since mid-February, Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox continued his prolific stretch, dropping in 25 points on 9/18 shooting. McCollum had a quiet night by his lofty standards lately, posting 17 points on 7/16 shooting.
#WESTERNCONFERENCEWEDNESDAY
These days it seems like much of the New Orleans fan base would gladly order one of those T-shirts that reads, “My favorite team is the Pelicans… and whoever is playing against the Lakers.” For good reason. Not only are the Lakers a very unpopular team in the Crescent City based on a variety of backstories, they’re also currently in ninth place in the West. Did we mention there’s also a growing possibility that New Orleans could get L.A.’s first-round draft pick this June? If the Lakers end up in the top 10 of the draft, that lottery selection would be conveyed to the Pelicans. Nearly 80 percent of fans on Twitter said the Lakers are the team they’re most closely scoreboard-watching right now (the other distant options were Portland, San Antonio and Sacramento). As @SGMAN31 wrote, “Lakers – we need them out the playoffs so we can assuredly have a top-10 pick.” Meanwhile, @MSConnerSanders voted for Portland but also for Lakers-related reasons, tweeting, “Portland because I want them to jump the Lakers if possible.” The Lakers entered Wednesday’s games with the NBA’s 12th-worst record. If they move into the bottom 10 or worse, the odds dramatically increase that New Orleans and its fans will be very happy on draft night.