New Orleans. Nov 25 (US): Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans seemed determined to redeem themselves after a tepid and sloppy performance earlier this week that was rock bottom to an already dismal start to the season.
Ingram scored 26 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and the Pelicans won only for the fourth time, beating the Washington Wizards 127-102, the Associated Press reported.
“I loved that we echoed,” Ingram said, referring to Monday’s 110-96 loss to Minnesota as he shot 2 of 13. “It looked like we just took it personal, and we came out with more pop today.”
Josh Hart highlighted his 16-point performance with a consecutive shot from half the field as he was fouled in the last second of the third quarter.
The shot “definitely helped our momentum towards the end of that quarter,” Ingram said. “It was definitely needed at the time of the game.”
The four-point play gave New Orleans a 95-73 lead, and the Pelicans didn’t move away when Nickel Alexander Walker and quarterback Willie Hernangomez hit 3s in a row to make it 103-75 with 8:59 left. The lead has grown to a size of 31.
The convincing victory was fun for first-year coach Willie Green, who said his team wasn’t ready to play two nights ago and blamed themselves.
“I didn’t think we played as hard as we could, and I didn’t train my ability and that’s a disappointment for our organization, our community, our team and I spoke to the team about that,” Green said. “I’m proud of the way they responded.”
Bradley Beal scored 23 points but got a little help from the rest of the Wizards, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Spencer Dinwiddie added 11 points, and Montrezel Harrell added 10 points and nine rebounds. Washington also committed 19 spins, resulting in 24 Pelicans points.
The early turnovers put us in a bind, said Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. “We knew we’d go in if we turned the ball against this team and they were able to get out and run; that’s when they’re at their best.”
“The swans’ energy and effort were better,” Unseld added. “They were more physical and more aggressive – on both ends – and it showed.”
Hint
Wizards: Davis Bertans is back from a 10-game absence with a left ankle sprain. He played 19 minutes in a reserve role and scored just three points on 1 of 10. … The Wizards made 19 turns, leading to the Pelicans 24 points. …the magicians missed 13 of 36 free throws. …Washington dropped to 4-5 on the road.
Pelicans: Graham Defonte scored 12 points in his first act since missing three games due to a sore left foot. …Hernangomes scored 13 points and Alexander Walker 12. …The Pelicans scored 72 points in the first half, the first time this season that New Orleans scored as many as 70 points in the first half. New Orleans finished high for points and 33 assists. … New Orleans shot 46.3% from the field (44 of 95), went 12 of 29 from a 3-point range, made 27 of 32 free throws and made 11 turns.
Quick start
New Orleans made their first double-digit lead in less than four minutes into the game.
Ingram, who made five of his first seven shots, hit a 17-foot conversion that made him 25-9. He added two more jumpers and throws in the first six minutes of the second quarter, helping New Orleans to lead 51-35.
“Brandon was amazing,” Green said. “Anytime he had scoring opportunities, he took advantage of them and did it quickly and aggressively.”
3 straight ths of Graham gave New Orleans their first lead by over 20 at 62-38. Valancionas, who scored 17 points in the first half, added a dunk, a tip, and a pair of free throws to help the Pelicans lead 72-50 at the end of the first half.
The Witches damaged their case in the first inning with 13 spins, resulting in 17 Pelicans points.
The hole would have been in a deeper hole had it not been for Bell, who fired nine of his first 13 shots for 19 points, including a long, salvage jump from an inside pass from the corner as the shot clock approached.
the following
Wizards: Visit Oklahoma City Friday night for the second stop on a four-game road trip.
Pelicans: Visit Utah on Friday night to play the first of three road games in four nights.