Late in the third quarter of Thursday’s game, Brandon Ingram collected his 10th rebound.
A Larry Nance Jr. block out of the only Charlotte Hornets player who was in the area allowed Ingram to secure the miss and clinch the first triple-double of his career.
Ingram finished the game — a 115-96 win for the New Orleans Pelicans — with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. It was the first time in more than 11 months that Ingram grabbed double-digit rebounds. Ingram had 11 rebounds in the Pelicans’ Game 2 win against the Phoenix Suns in April.
Ingram’s Pelicans are trying to return to that postseason stage this spring. With nine regular-season games remaining, they are part of a pack of Western Conference teams between sixth and 12th place that are separated by two games.
The Pelicans are on a three-game winning streak. Beating the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets helped restore the team’s confidence. But the Pelicans recognize those wins came against poor competition and that a four-game road trip beginning Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers will be a better measuring stick of their progress.
“All these games count down the stretch to make the play-in or go directly into the playoffs,” Ingram said. “We just have to have a sense of urgency in this first game on the road in L.A.”
The Pelicans’ offense is finally starting to perk up. They averaged 119 points per 100 possessions in their three-game winning streak, nearly eight points per 100 possessions better than their offensive rating in their first 34 games of 2023. The trio of Ingram, CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas combined to score 70 points Thursday.
“It reminds me of even earlier in the season when the ball was hopping around and guys were feeling good and touching the ball and getting out and playing fast,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We’ve had moments earlier this season where we couldn’t find a rhythm. But it looks like we’re finding it at the right time.”
Coming off of an embarrassing home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on March 14, the Pelicans started to involve Valanciunas more in the offense. They have pounded the ball inside to him on their first possession in four consecutive games.
Valanciunas registered 14 post-up possessions against Charlotte. He is averaging 11.8 post-up possessions in New Orleans’ last four games. Prior to that, he was averaging 4.4 post-up possessions per game this season, according to NBA.com/stats.
“Establishing J.V. early has been a big thing for us,” Ingram said. “Making sure he has a paint presence and he’s comfortable on the floor.”
Valanciunas is averaging 20.5 points on 63% shooting and 15.8 rebounds in the past four games. He has recorded a double-double in each of those contests.
“We enjoy winning,” Valanciunas said. “Right now, every win is very, very important for us. We have to continue checking those standings, where are every night. We have to make a big push.”
The Pelicans are one of four teams in the West with a 36-37 record, along with the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder. The cramped West standings only amplify how important each remaining game is.
“We know what’s ahead of us,” Green said. “This road trip is a business trip for us. We have some tough teams on the road. We are going to enjoy this win tonight. Then we’re going to get back to work tomorrow and get ready for our trip.”
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