Certainly not helped by the cumulative absences of Zion Williamson, Jose Alvarado or Larry Nance Jr, all three injured, the Pelicans were however favorites against the Thunder this night. But this morning, they only have their eyes to cry…
Despite their 9th-place finish and thus home-court advantage, and despite the efforts of their All-Star Brandon Ingramwho finished with 30 points, plus 6 rebounds and 7 assists, New Orleans was surprised at home by the young squad of the Thunder (123-118).
One elbow hit, but no whistle
However, it is not for lack of trying for Brandon Ingram, who had more than 27 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds since March 1. Player of the week 15 days ago, the offensive leader of the Pels did not spare his mount in the second half, with 20 points at 8/12 on shots.
Although stuck by Lu Dort, who did not let go of a sole, the winger led the last stand of his team, until this 3-pointer which could have deserved an additional throw (to equalize !) three seconds from the end of regulation time…
“It was not whistled”, missed Brandon Ingram at a press conference. “They let a lot of things go by in this match, and that’s what you would expect in a play-in match, but I think he got to me. I didn’t really have an explanation [de la part des arbitres]. I feel like you always have to add more these days to get a whistle. You have to change direction, or move your head backwards. If you don’t do something crazy in reaction, they usually don’t call those kinds of fouls. »
Somewhat recovered a few seconds after the action, Brandon Ingram then let it sink. Captain abandoned by his lieutenants, including a broken CJ McCollum all over (finger, shoulder) and clumsy (5/15), he stood up to the end, well helped by his young guard, Herb Jones (20 points) and Trey Murphy (21 points). But in vain…
Progress despite everything
“We progressed as the season progressed,” Brandon Ingram analysis. “Herb Jones and Trey Murphy have made tremendous progress at the right times this season. Dyson [Daniels] also progressed well. We didn’t often have the full team, we had a lot of obstacles to overcome but we always remained united and we fought. We always played hard and tried to defend hard, to play well. »
He himself spent two months in the infirmary tending to his big toe, and while he may not have played well until March, showing new qualities as a creator, he failed, and c It’s a bit of a symbol of this failed season for the Pelicans. Very ambitious after their good series against the Suns in 2022, they were one victory away from first place in early January. But the injuries decided otherwise…
“What is complicated is that we had a goal at the start of the season. It was an ideal, and it was to have Zion, CJ and me, and one of the best defensemen in the NBA with Herb, and one of the best shooters with Trey… On paper, we had the feeling really good. But there were a few injuries, we lost a few matches, we had a few bad runs… We showed resilience. Today, we know the outcome of the season, but I found that we had progressed from match to match. »
The Ingram-Williamson-McCollum trio have only played 10 matches together
On a personal level, Brandon Ingram is still not looking for excuses. The boy from Winston, North Carolina, simply intends to return to work. To not have to rely on referees in the future… and hoping to play with Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum since they only played 10 matches together…
“You can look back and think about it all season and wonder what would have happened… But you have to keep living in the present and see what happens with the team in place… I think we took steps, and it would have been great to have the full band. But that never happened all season, and I hope it will next season. »
One thing is certain, he does not want to change his way of doing things, and he does not intend to influence the referees by amplifying contact. He wants to stay the player he is.
“I’m going to keep getting stronger but, you know, I play basketball the way it should. I’m certainly not the strongest player, but I’m not going to start acting and tilting my head back with every contact. I’m not going to change my game to get points on throws. Being a referee is a job. If they did not feel there was fault, there was no fault. All I can do is keep working on my game, improve and come back stronger.” he concludes.
| Brandon Ingram | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2016-17 | ALL | 79 | 29 | 40.2 | 29.4 | 62.1 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 9.4 |
| 2017-18 | ALL | 59 | 34 | 47.0 | 39.0 | 68.1 | 1.0 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 16.1 |
| 2018-19 | ALL | 52 | 34 | 49.7 | 33.0 | 67.5 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 18.3 |
| 2019-20 | NOP | 62 | 34 | 46.3 | 39.1 | 85.1 | 0.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 23.8 |
| 2020-21 | NOP | 61 | 34 | 46.6 | 38.1 | 87.8 | 0.6 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 23.8 |
| 2021-22 | NOP | 55 | 34 | 46.1 | 32.7 | 82.6 | 0.6 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 22.7 |
| 2022-23 | NOP | 45 | 34 | 48.4 | 39.0 | 88.2 | 0.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 24.7 |
| Total | 413 | 33 | 46.4 | 36.4 | 78.4 | 0.7 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 19.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
