Pelicans' Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson go to 'bread and butter' in win over Blazers
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The shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans have concerning issues piling up but still found a way to win a clutch, nailbiting road game over the Portland Trail Blazers. Yves Missi made another great rookie impression and second-year two-guard Jordan Hawkins was sensational to lead all scorers. Pelicans All-Stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram were charged with getting the Pelicans over the finish line victorious though.
Ingram described the last shot as a play that was practically ordained by basketball gods.
“I was trying to get to my bread and butter,” Ingram explained. “I was trying to get to my spot that I work on a lot and God made it happen for me. I thought I got fouled but he put it in there for me.”
The Pelicans and Ingram are making things work without a traditional center on the court at all times. McCollum tied the game at 91 with just over eight minutes remaining. Hawkins hit a couple of free throws to give the Pelicans a slight cushion at 93-91. It was a back-and-forth affair until Ingram’s turnaround elbow jumper with 4.9 seconds left put the Pelicans up 105-103. Williamson coming up big on defense is a huge development for a team still trying to forge a championship identity.
“When we look back on the schedule, it’s not going to say whether my offense was great this game or not. It is going to say if we won the game,” Williamson stated. “If we can win games like this where my offense was terrible because it took a while to find my rhythm. When we can win games like this and there are other ways for me to be impactful in the game, I think that’s big for us in the long run.”
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The game came down to defense and creating space for tough shots in the final five seconds. Portland could not push Ingram off of his preferred shooting spot and then failed to avoid Williamson on the other end. Hawkins (24 points) was the hero most of the night though and Williamson made sure to give the reserve a shoutout in the postgame press conference.
“I tell him it reminds me of Ray Allen being able to catch the shot on the move whether you are facing the basket or not,” shared Williamson. “It could just be a spot-up shot. Hawkins is a very talented shooter and I’m glad he’s with us.”
Willie Green piggybacked off that stamp of approval for Hawkins after the win as well.
“(Hawkins) stayed aggressive,” Green insisted. “He has worked for this moment. He hit some big shots, some timely shots when we kind of didn’t have it going. Once he gets his shot going, he can rattle off 4 or 5 in a row.”
The Pelicans will look for a third win in a row to start the season in a rematch against the Trail Blazers on Sunday, October 26. Then it’s down the interstate to face Steph Curry’s always-dangerous Golden State Warriors. Thankfully, Ingram and Williamson’s supporting cast is stepping up in Dejounte Murray’s absence.
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