Friday 17 January 2020 07:51, UK
Lonzo Ball said his team-mate Brandon Ingram was 'on a whole other level' after the Pelicans forward scored 49 points in New Orleans’ overtime win against the Utah Jazz.
The Pelicans players wildly celebrated Ingram's off-balance jumper in the final seconds of regulation, believing it had won the game.
Turns out it didn't.
Fans were angry with an unusual foul call that allowed Utah to force overtime with 0.2 seconds left, but the way the Pelicans responded sent them home happy.
Ingram scored five of his career-high 49-point haul in the extra period, and the Pelicans ended the Jazz's 10-game win streak with a 138-132 victory on Thursday night.
"To come back after that, my team-mates were still locked in and we wanted it more than the other team tonight," said Ingram, who also had three assists in OT. "We stepped up in all areas and we were able to pull it out."
Team-mates playfully doused Ingram with water in the locker room after the latest of a slew of prolific performances this season.
"The first person that threw something, I told him he has got to pay for my next hairdo," a grinning Ingram said.
The 22-year-old Ingram has scored at least 30 points nine times this season - three times against Utah - and his 25.8 points per game leads the club that he joined this offseason when he was included in a trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers.
"He has come into his own. It is Brandon Ingram time now," said guard Lonzo Ball, who also was part of the Davis trade. "Since I have known him, he has been a confident person. But this whole year, he has been on a whole other level. Obviously, he is our go-to guy on this team and we trust him."
Utah led 132-127 on Bojan Bogdanovic's triple with 2:28 remaining in overtime, but went scoreless the rest of the way. The Pelicans scored 11 straight points on lay-ups by Derrick Favors and E'Twaun Moore and seven free throws.
Favors finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks against his former team. Moore had 16 points for New Orleans, who have won 10 of 14 and have two more games to play before the NBA's top overall draft choice, Zion Williamson, is slated to make his Pelicans debut on January 22.
The Pelicans thought they were heading for a win on Ingram's 16-foot pull-up from the left side in the final seconds of regulation. But Hayes was called for holding center Rudy Gobert as Utah attempted a desperation tip-in on the inbound pass.
The call, which was upheld after a video review, gave Gobert a chance to win it by making both foul shots. But with the crowd heartily booing the officials, Gobert missed the first free throw before hitting the pressure-packed second to tie it at 122.
"It was a great game," Gobert said. "Both teams played hard. Both teams tried to get a win. It came down to the last few plays."
Utah star Donovan Mitchell tied his career-high with 46 points before missing several shots in the final minutes of overtime. Bogdanovic scored 26, and Gobert finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.
