Brandon Ingram Has Career Game For The Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are understandably excited about the imminent return of Zion Williamson. The sensation from Duke is due back on the 22nd.

In the meantime though, as the Pelicans have struggled in his absence, Brandon Ingram has continued to get better.

Ingram, who preceded Williamson at Duke, seemed frustrated as a Laker. New Orleans exec David Griffin has long admired his game and potential and Ingram is drawing closer to it: Thursday night Ingram had a career high 49 points in an OT win over Quin Snyder’s Utah Jazz. He also had eight rebounds and six assists and nearly had the game winner in regulation but it was after the buzzer.

After the game, his teammates really celebrated him but Ingram was humble, lightheartedly complaining about his hair being messed up and his mother being mad at him for not getting 50 when he missed a late free throw: “It will come again. My Ma is gonna be more upset than me. It will come again.”

Aside from the potential, watching Ingram and Williamson on the same court is going to be striking, humorous and fascinating. Ingram is soooo long and lanky. We used to marvel that his hands were so much further down the side stripe on his Duke uniform shorts than any of his teammates. It was crazy.

Then you get this human bowling ball who is capable of doing nearly anything on a basketball court and who is usually the quickest, strongest, heaviest and most stunning athlete out there.

It’s going to be great.