Brandon Ingram injury threatens to derail Pelicans season
In an unfortunate turn of events, All-Star forward Brandon Ingram was helped off the floor after suffering a knee injury during the Pelicans’ 121-106 loss to the Magic Thursday night.
The incident occurred in the third quarter when Orlando guard Jalen Suggs drove to the basket and made contact with Ingram, who crashed to the floor while clutching his left knee. It was evident from television replays that Ingram’s knee seemed to bend at an awkward angle, causing him to grimace in pain for several minutes. As he was helped off the floor, Ingram didn’t put any weight on his left leg.
After the game, Pelicans coach Willie Green confirmed that his star forward would undergo an MRI to evaluate the damage to his left knee.
“Our prayers will be going up and hopefully we get some good news back,” Green told reporters.
The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Pelicans, who’ve been one of the hottest teams in the league since the All-Star break. Going into Thursday’s game, the Pels had won 16 of their previous 21 games and were within striking distance of surpassing the Clippers for the fourth seed out West. Ingram’s untimely injury threatens to derail their momentum entering next month’s playoffs, and potentially cause them to drop below the fifth seed. With 13 games left in the season, New Orleans is just two games ahead in the loss column of Sacramento, Phoenix and Dallas, who are sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.
On the flip side, Ingram’s injury could open the door for 23-year-old forward Trey Murphy III to take the next step in his development. Murphy, the most likely candidate to replace Ingram in the starting unit, has been averaging 16.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists since the All-Star break while making an impressive 3.7 threes per game.
Yet, Ingram’s potential loss won’t be easy to sustain for the Pelicans, who rely heavily on the former Duke product in clutch scenarios of games. Ingram is averaging 21 points, 5.8 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season.
