In their slide down the Western Conference standings, slow starts have been a problem for the New Orleans Pelicans. Too often in the past two months, they have had to play from behind before the first quarter is over.
“We know we’ve had bad first quarters when we’re not focused,” star forward Brandon Ingram said. “First group has to have good first quarters. Kind of establish it for the second group and help us keep it rolling.”
Ingram took it upon himself to get his team off to a good start Thursday. Ingram posted an eye-popping stat line of 17 points, five rebounds and six assists in the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Pelicans created a double-digit advantage early on, which they never relinquished in a 115-96 win over the Hornets at Smoothie King Center.
The Pelicans, who have won three straight games, improved to 36-37. They have an identical record as the 10th-place Los Angeles Lakers but are behind them in the standings because the Lakers own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Ingram impacted every facet of Thursday’s game. He finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. It was the first triple-double of his career and the first triple-double from a Pelicans player this season.
The Pelicans scored 62 points in the first half, a positive sign for a team that has struggled on offense without injured star Zion Williamson. They shot 53.3% in the first two quarters.
The Hornets pulled within three points with 4:13 remaining in the third quarter on Svi Mykhailiuk’s corner 3. Ingram made sure the Hornets never got closer than that.
Ingram grabbed three rebounds in the final 2:12 in the third to secure the triple-double. Then with 36.5 seconds left in the quarter, he hit a 19-foot jumper despite getting fouled. His and-one made it a seven-point game going into the fourth quarter.
The Pelicans’ starters collectively did enough to secure a wire-to-wire win over the Hornets. Trey Murphy connected on four 3-pointers en route to 19 points. Jonas Valanciunas continued his recent stretch of strong play by tallying 20 points and 19 rebounds — the Lithuanian center’s fourth straight double-double.
New Orleans turned the game into a blowout in the fourth quarter, when it outscored Charlotte 27-15.
The Pelicans finished a four-game stretch against three of the NBA’s worst teams — the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Hornets — with a 3-1 record. They are still alive in the postseason race with nine regular-season games remaining. They begin a four-game road trip Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
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