NBA: Pelicans silence Thunder, end road woes
Brandon Ingram #14 of the New Orleans Pelicans dunks the ball during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on February 13, 2023 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ian Maule/Getty Images/AFP
Brandon Ingram scored 34 points to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 103-100 victory over the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
Ingram’s biggest shot came in the final minute after the Thunder cut the Pelicans’ lead to three. He backed down Luguentz Dort and hit a fadeaway jumper over Dort to restore a five-point edge.
Article continues after this advertisementMoments later, Ingram’s turnover gave the Thunder another chance, but Herbert Jones swiped the ball right back from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
R U KIDDING ME BRANDON INGRAM pic.twitter.com/xDbfaeYao0
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 14, 2023
But Oklahoma City wasn’t done.
Article continues after this advertisementJalen Williams pulled the Thunder within three with 5.3 seconds left, and New Orleans’ Jose Alvarado couldn’t handle the inbounds pass, knocking the ball out of bounds.
Isaiah Joe’s corner 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the back of the rim to give the Pelicans the win.
New Orleans won for the fourth time in five games and for the first time on the road since Jan. 13.
that's tuff @B_Ingram13 pic.twitter.com/ovXD0XtC24
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 14, 2023
The Thunder lost for the second time in five games.
Ingram got off to a fast start, making five of his first six shots and scoring New Orleans’ first 12 points as the Pelicans led from the opening moments.
New Orleans led by as many as 20 points in the first half before the Thunder closed the second quarter on a 16-5 run. The Pelicans led 60-51 at the break.
The Thunder pulled within one twice in the third quarter but couldn’t break through.
Josh Richardson, acquired in a deal with the Spurs last week, had 10 points and tied a career high with five steals in his New Orleans debut.
Much of Richardson’s offensive output came in the opening minutes of the fourth, as he scored six of the Pelicans’ points in an 8-0 run.
Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Williams added 22 points and Josh Giddey had 17.
The Thunder’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl returned from an ankle injury that had kept him out since Dec. 12. Robinson-Earl missed all five shots he took and was scoreless in 18 minutes.
Dario Saric, acquired in a trade deadline deal with Phoenix, was available but didn’t play for the Thunder.
