NBA: Pelicans continue to roll, take down host Magic

Brandon Ingram scored a game-high 31 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans continued their longest win streak of the season with a 110-104 victory over the host Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

Josh Hart (22 points) made four 3-pointers and Devonte' Graham (20 points) sank five triples, helping New Orleans win its fourth game in a row. The Pelicans were without starting center Jonas Valanciunas (non-COVID illness) as well as key reserve Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was placed in the league's health and safety protocols on Thursday.

Ingram opened the third quarter by making five consecutive jumpers, as the Pelicans extended a 55-43 halftime advantage to 65-45. Orlando countered with a 33-18 run to get within 83-78 entering the final period.

The Magic trailed 99-97 with 1:54 to go, but they were unable to complete the comeback as New Orleans finished 23-of-26 at the free-throw line.

Willy Hernangomez moved into the Pelicans' starting lineup and had a season-high 16 rebounds, seven on the offensive end.

The Magic, who returned home following an eventful road trip that included a postponement in Toronto and wins over Brooklyn and Atlanta, were in search of their first three-game winning streak since February of the 2020-21 season.

Franz Wagner scored 17 of his 20 points in the third quarter.

Orlando's Gary Harris added a season-high 22 points, and Cole Anthony (ankle) had 22 points and 11 assists after missing the previous three games. Wendell Carter Jr. (lower leg) also returned from injury and posted 17 points, 12 rebounds and three of the Magic's 11 blocks.

The Magic once again persevered with several players out of action against New Orleans. That included six who remain in virus protocols: Mo Bamba, R.J. Hampton, Terrence Ross, Moe Wagner, Mychal Mulder and Ignas Brazdeikis.

Six of Orlando's seven bench players were free agents who signed 10-day contracts (via NBA hardship exceptions) since Dec. 17. Admiral Schofield led that group on Thursday with eight points in 25 minutes.

New Orleans improved to 6-12 on the road, while Orlando's home struggles continued with its 11th loss in 13 games at the Amway Center.

-reuters

NBA: Pelicans drop Trail Blazers for third straight win

Brandon Ingram hit for 28 points and Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 22 of his 27 in the second half as the host New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 111-97 on Tuesday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Josh Hart added 20 points, Willy Hernangomez had 13 off the bench, Jonas Valanciunas had 10 points and 16 rebounds and Devonte' Graham scored 10 for the Pelicans.

Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 39 points. Jusuf Nurkic added 17, Norman Powell had 16 and Larry Nance Jr. scored 10.

Powell made a 3-pointer to start the third quarter to give the Blazers a 52-51 lead. But Hart scored seven points during a 14-0 run that gave the Pelicans a 65-52 lead with 8:31 left in the quarter.

New Orleans led by 13 on two more occasions before Powell scored nine, Lillard seven and Nance six as Portland climbed within one. Alexander-Walker made a basket to extend the Pelicans' lead to 81-78 at the end of the third quarter.

Robert Covington's basket started the fourth-quarter scoring and got the Blazers within one point before Alexander-Walker scored 11 straight New Orleans points to give the Pelicans a 92-83 lead with 8:46 left.

Lillard had five points as Portland scored eight straight, but Ingram's basket started a 7-0 New Orleans run that produced a 99-91 lead with 4:31 left, and the Blazers didn't threaten after that.

The score was tied four times and the lead changed hands three times before the Pelicans took a 24-21 lead at the end of the first quarter.

New Orleans pushed the lead to six early in the second quarter before Lillard's 3-pointer completed a 7-0 run that gave Portland a 31-30 lead.

Ingram's jumper gave the Pelicans the lead briefly before Lillard's 3-pointer and Nance's layup gave the Blazers a 36-32 lead.

The Blazers increased the lead to six points twice, but Ingram scored 10 points in the last 2:38 of the quarter as New Orleans took a 51-49 halftime lead.

-reuters

Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Ingram suspended, fined

LOS ANGELES – Lakers teammates Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul of the Rockets were suspended without pay Sunday for an on-court fight, with Paul taking the heaviest financial hit.

Ingram was suspended four games, Rondo will sit out three games and Paul two games. The NBA handed down the punishments a day after the incident in the fourth quarter at Staples Center.

The penalty was costliest to Paul, who has the highest salary of the trio and was fined a total of $491,782. Paul is president of the NBA Players’ Association. He began serving his suspension Sunday night and wasn’t at the arena when the Rockets lost to the Clippers 115-112. Rondo will be docked a total of $186,207, while Ingram’s total is $158,816.

source: philstar.com