2:50 AM ET
-
Andrew LopezESPN
NEW ORLEANS – Pelicans striker Brandon Ingram has four games in his first playoff game of his six-year career – a fact his team-mate Jose Alvarado still can’t believe.
“It doesn’t look like that,” Alvarado said when the topic was raised after game 4 on Sunday night. “He wants to win.”
It was another outstanding performance for Ingram, who finished with 30 points after the Pelicans defeated the Phoenix Suns 118-103 to level their first round of the Western Conference playoffs at 2-2.
Ingram became the first player in the history of the Pelicans franchise to score 30 points in three consecutive games and joined Alan Iverson and LeBron James as the only players with three games with 30 points each in their first four playoff games in their careers since the NBA merger. and ABA (1976-77).
Also, Ingram’s 119 points in his first four playoff games are the fifth highest of any player since the merger, behind only James (137), Anthony Davis (126), Luka Doncic (126) and Ja Morant (124).
“Brandon is playing some of his best basketball of the season,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green. “He does it on the biggest stage. It’s great to see. He is capable. I’ve said it before: It’s the real deal. And he goes to the floor and puts the work into practice, and we see him on the display. “
Like Game 2, during Pelicans’ second win in the series, Ingram started with 11 points in the first quarter. In Sunday’s third quarter, he lit up again, knocking down 7 of 11 shots on his way to 16 points.
He didn’t score in the fourth quarter, but Pelicans didn’t need him. After Phoenix reduced New Orleans’ lead to 88-83 with 9:02 left, the Pelicans responded 12-0 to take control.
“I feel it’s our time,” Ingram said. “We work so hard all year round to become a better team. We finally get the chance to be on a really, really big stage and keep playing well.
“My teammates helped me a lot, they just put me in the right places, gave me the ball in the right zones. They just made me look good. It was a team effort and I love playing with the boys.”
Ingram’s big third quarter was part of the trend for New Orleans. For the Pelicans series, they beat the Suns 137-93 in the third quarter. New Orleans scored at least 30 points each time, while the Suns scored 26 in Game 1 and were left with 23, 22 and 22 in the next three games.
The teams will face off in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Phoenix.
According to a study by the Elias Sports Bureau, this is the 30th playoff series in which one team has at least 25 wins more than its opponent; The Suns ranked 64-18, while the Pelicans were 36-46 this season. The team with more wins in the regular season has won 28 of the previous 29 games. (We Believe Golden State Warriors Defeat Best Dallas Mavericks in 2007)
And this is only the ninth series of the best of seven in NBA history between ranked No. 1 and ranked No. 8, which are tied 2-2. The 8th-placed never won after a draw in two games.
All three of the previous 8-placed, who beat the 1-placed in the series of the best of the seven (Philadelphia 76ers in 2012, Memphis Grizzlies in 2011 and Warriors in 2007), had a 3-1 lead, entering in game 5.
ESPN statistics and information contributed to this report.
Add Comment