When the New Orleans Pelicans face the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, they will look to maintain their division lead.
Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram READY for Pelicans – Spurs
Also read: Kawhi Leonard’ Injury Status for Los Angeles Clipper
- Brandon Ingram
The Pelicans were led by Brandon Ingram, who had 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Ingram had 34 points (12-19 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 7-7 FT), six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 31 minutes against the Warriors on Monday.
Ingram had 34 points (12-19 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 7-7 FT), six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 31 minutes against the Warriors on Monday.
Ingram set a season high in scoring and looked impressive on both ends of the court as he led the team to victory over a depleted Warriors team.
Ingram has now scored at least 25 points in two consecutive games after failing to do so even once in a five-game span between Nov. 9 and Nov. 16.
Even though he hasn’t been particularly consistent from game to game, the former Lakers forward is still having a productive season, averaging 22.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.
- Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson had a bad night, scoring only 9 points, well below his season average of 22.3 points per game.
Zion Williamson is ready for tonight’s game against the San Antonio Spurs in New Orleans.
In 23 minutes against the Warriors on Monday, Williamson (foot) had nine points (3-7 FG, 3-4 FT), four assists, and two rebounds.
Williamson returned to action after missing three games due to a right foot contusion, and he had one of the worst fantasy performances of the season.
The Pelicans made no mention of Williamson’s minutes restriction upon his return to the lineup, but because New Orleans led by 24 points at halftime, none of the starters saw their usual amounts of playing time.
Williamson’s minutes and production should increase in the coming games now that his injury appears to be behind him.
About New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies are tied for first place in the Southwest Division at 10-7.
They have won four of their last five games, with the only setback coming on November 18 when they were defeated by the Celtics 117-109.
They followed that up on Monday with a 128-83 thrashing of the defending champion Warriors.
The Pelicans dominated the game, shooting 54% from the field and 36% from three-point range. They also won the rebounding battle, outrebounding the Warriors 50-34.
The Pelicans, who average 116.9 points per game, are one of the NBA’s top scoring teams. They have the third highest field goal percentage and the fourth highest three-point percentage. They rank 11th in the NBA with 110.6 points allowed per game.
Devonte Graham led the way with 19 points, including six three-pointers, and CJ McCollum chipped in with 15 points.
Jonas Valunciunas had ten points and thirteen rebounds.
Read more: Raptors Provides Pascal Siakam injury status
Injury Report
- SF Trey Murphy III (Foot): Game Time Decision
- SF E.J. Liddell (Knee): Expected to be out until at least Apr 1
About San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs were widely expected to be one of the league’s worst teams, but they surprised many by going 5-2 in their first seven games.
Will they live up to the hype and emerge as a contender? They do not appear to be willing. The Spurs have reverted to being the bad team that everyone predicted they would be in the first place. They’ve now lost ten of their last eleven games and are 6-12 on the year.
In the Southwest Division, the Spurs are only 4.5 games behind the first-place Pelicans.
They’ve now dropped five straight games, including a 123-92 road loss to the Lakers on Sunday. The Spurs shot 39% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc.
The Spurs were led in scoring by Devin Vassell (17 points), Keldon Johnson (12 points), and Jeremy Sochan (12 points).
The Spurs rank 20th in the league with an average of 110.1 points per game. They are ranked 30th in the NBA.
Injury Report
- PF Zach Collins (Lower Leg): Game Time Decision
- C Jakob Poeltl (Knee): Game Time Decision
- SG Josh Richardson (Ankle): Game Time Decision
- SG Blake Wesley (Knee): Expected to be out until at least Jan 1
