Even though he raises his arms to the sky and looks annoyed at the referees, they don't flinch. Brandon Ingram has just scored an impossible 3-point basket, at the buzzer at the end of the third quarter of Game 3 against the Thunder.
Impossible, because Lu Dort rose at the same time as him on his shot, with obvious contact, but remaining straight. A heroic basket, but no fault then. This action says a lot about the defensive level displayed by the OKC player, and the suffering experienced as a result by the Pelicans winger.
Lu Dort is constantly in the shoes of the Team USA player. “ Sometimes it's played four against four. Sometimes Lu Dort puts pressure on me once I cross the halfway line, he is glued to me all the time “, described Ingramtop scorer in his team, but with only 19 points (7/14 on shots) on the clock.
It's a little better than his 18 points (5/10) in the previous match, and especially his modest 12 points (5/17) in the first match. “ It's hard, it's hard, especially when you expect so much more from yourself. OKC has a game plan which is to cut me off the ball, try to make me play without the ball », Continues Brandon Ingram, aware of having to contribute differently.
A lingering embarrassment
“ I can't just worry about myself, I also have to worry about my teammates, making sure they're in rhythm. If they're in rhythm, I'm sure they'll find me in rhythm too », he projects while his team is on the verge of a clean sweep. And find “ demoralizing » that the Pels fail to make the usual defensive stops they rely on to play in transition.
Beyond the impact of Dort and the Thunder, who benefit from the absence of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram admits to not being at 100% of his capabilities in this series. “ I seem to have periods where I felt good, but not completely. I'm not satisfied with any of my performances in the playoffs. I don't think I'm completely myself. I'll keep moving forward “, he says.
We recall that he was injured in the knee at the end of March, and only returned during the last match of the regular season before continuing with the play-in rounds.
| Brandon Ingram | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
