Detroit Feb. 2 (US): Brandon Ingram scored 26 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 13 points and 13 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 15-point delay to defeat the Detroit Pistons 111-101 on Tuesday night.
“What I love about this team is that we try to get better every night,” Ingram said. “No matter what we go through, we take it and learn from it.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker earned 14 of New Orleans’ 54 bench points as the Pelicans finished off a four-game losing streak, The Associated Press reported.
“We were playing the second half of a straight game and we came down early,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “This is a difficult situation, but our guys accepted the challenge after the first half and came out with a different mentality.”
The Pistons, who overcame a 15-0 delay to defeat Cleveland on Sunday, advanced 76-61 with 7:38 remaining in the third quarter. But with Cade Cunningham sidelined by the hip index, they edged out 50-25 the rest of the way.
“The difference in this match was one word: rebounding,” said Pistons coach Duane Casey. “They are a big, tall team, so we needed to hit them first on the boards. We will never outgrow them.”
Detroit’s Jeramy Grant scored 17 points on his comeback after missing 24 games with a thumb injury. With Kelly Olynyk (knee) also playing for the third time since November, the Pistons have made 19 turns.
It’s like having a new squad out there,” said Frank Jackson, the Pistons guard. “It’s going to take a while to get everything back in rhythm.”
Ingram hit two free throws with 8 minutes left to give New Orleans a 94-93 lead, the first since the first quarter. Without Cunningham, Detroit went nearly five minutes without scoring before Cory Joseph’s jump hit 97-95 with 4:46 to play.
“I thought we played really well in the first two and a half quarters, but we stopped in the third,” Grant said. “We didn’t have stops and they were getting attacking rebounds and second chance points.”
Detroit shooting problems combined with winning New Orleans fights on the offensive glass allowed the Pelicans to rise 107-98 with 1:59 to play and win comfortably.
Grant scored 10 points in the final two minutes of the first half, giving the Pistons a 65-57 lead. That grew to 15 early in the third quarter, but New Orleans responded with a 13-2 to pull out within 78-74.
3-pointers cut Gary Clark the lead to one with 8.3 seconds left in the quarter, but Killian Hayes’s throw beat the bell to give Detroit an 87-84 advantage.
Hint
Pelicans: Valancionas finished with six of 16 offensive rebounds for New Orleans. …New Orleans finished 25-13 in second-chance points.
Pistons: Grant captured four points in the second quarter, fired a free throw after a technical foul on Ingram, then made a three-pointer.
A little legend among friends
Ingram, who picked up the tech in the second quarter in order to discuss a call, was fired, with 1:43 remaining after being called in for taunts. After blocking Frank Jackson’s shot, Ingram leaned down and bowed to the shape of his close friend.
“He just got excited because he stopped me,” said Jackson, who came to the Pistons from the Pelicans. “I love B – he’s a sweet soul. He’s my son – that’s it.”
Ingram, who played for Duke a year before Jackson, joked that he would ask his friend to pay the fine.
“I already know the answer – Frank won’t pay – but I will,” he said.
next one
Pelicans: Visit the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Pistons: Host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.