New Orleans’ compressed 2020 offseason was highlighted by the acquisitions of NBA veterans Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams, but on Monday, a trio of roster additions from the previous year excelled.
Brandon Ingram picked up from where he left off from his first All-Star selection by rolling to a 22-point night in 31 minutes, while fellow starting forward Zion Williamson tallied 13 points in each half en route to a team-best 26. Second-year guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker boosted the bench with 14 points, including four three-pointers.
Williamson and Alexander-Walker were the first and 17th picks in the 2019 draft, while Ingram was a centerpiece of that summer’s trade with the Lakers.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
The Pelicans took a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter and were never seriously threatened by the Heat down the stretch. Every mini-run from Miami was halted by turnovers, including a few miscues that led directly to a New Orleans transition bucket.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Ingram was omnipresent on both ends of the floor. The forward piled up 16 first-half points to power New Orleans to a 60-point first half, while also getting into the passing lanes defensively. Ingram totaled three steals and a block, showing consistent aggressiveness and using his long arms to be a disruptive factor.
"He took the game over on the offensive end," Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said of the 6-foot-7 Ingram. "Then in the second half, he was very active with his hands and created some turnovers. He should be able to do some things like that, with his length. He should be active and cause some problems for a lot of people."
BY THE NUMBERS
10/11: Williamson’s foul shooting. The second-year pro has been spending extra time on his free throws with assistant coach Fred Vinson – and through one preseason game, that seems to be paying dividends. Vinson worked extensively last season with Ingram and Lonzo Ball, as both made major strides on their threes (Ingram also made a large jump at the foul line percentage-wise).
39: Miami second-half points. Alexander-Walker noted postgame that New Orleans was pleased to hold the opponent under 100 total points. That’s increasingly becoming a rarity in the fast-paced, high-scoring NBA of 2020.
46: Miami three-point attempts, making only 13, for a percentage of 28.3. The Heat only took 11 free throws, 20 fewer than the Pelicans shot.