Big Night for the Pels
Coming off 10 days and five games on the road, the Pelicans returned to the Smoothie King Center, hosting Lamelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, January 17.
After the game, the Pelicans swept the season series over the Charlotte Hornets. This 20 point victory by the Pelicans resulted in a historic night for the franchise.
Although the Pelicans franchise record for three pointers made in a single game was broken with 21 threes against the San Antonio Spurs this December, they found a way to outdo themselves by sinking 25.
Not only was it a franchise record, the 25 three pointers made ties the 2023-24 NBA season high in three pointers made in a single game with the Boston Celtics.
Brandon Ingram had sunk seven of them, tying his career high of threes made in a single game. Following, rookie Jordan Hawkins had six, just one shy of his career high. Trey Murphy III nailed five, CJ McCollum had four, Herb Jones with two, and Larry Nance Jr. with one.
Shedding light on the young shooters on the team and their success together, Coach Green explained, "The more we see [of Hawkins and Murphy], the more we like the duo. It's hard for teams to match up with that type of shooting and spacing."
One of the goals for the Pelicans this season was to put up more three pointers, which they have proven to have done so. In fact, this season, they stand with a 4-0 record during games in which they made over 40 three point attempts. Coach Green had found pride in this as when he began coaching the team, the Pelicans were ranked at the bottom of the league for three point attempts.
In addition, the Pelicans tossed out 16 assists on 16 made shots in the first frame, which is the most assists in a quarter in franchise history. The three main scorers, Willamson, Ingram, and McCollum, all had made at least six assists.
"It's so huge for our offense when those three guys are not just scoring, but they're facilitating, they're passing to each other, getting our guys open shots. It's a goal for us to continue to be consistent in that area," said Coach Green.
Non-statistic related, Zion Willamson had an unbelievable defensive play when cornering Lamelo Ball, forcing him to lose control of the ball and turning the ball over to the Pelicans. The Smoothie King Center erupted with applause. Hawkins had called it "one of the best plays of the season."
B.I. with a Triple Double
While the game was a great one for the Pelicans, the night was truly Brandon Ingram's—who recorded his third triple double of his career. He scored 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for the game. He further tied his career high in three points made with seven and also with three steals.
This explosive night for Ingram came after a dip in his numbers. But he came out of the gates aggressive that night, playing with no hesitation.
When asked about his stellar performance, Ingram said he is "putting in the work, continuing to move forward. Bad nights [or] good nights, continuing to move forward, and work on my game. I just try and bring everything out that I can do and continue to be effective on the floor in wins."
