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Andrew LopezESPN
PHOENIX — His team does pregame handshakes before every game. New Orleans PelicansForward Larry Nance Jr.Have a message for Brandon Ingram.
Nance tells Nance that he is the best player on the court.
Nance was a teammate of Ingram on the Los Angeles LakersThe 2016-17 season was completed, with half the year remaining before Nance was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nance has seen Ingram develop over the years and, when he finally arrived in New Orleans to see it, he saw what his eyes had been telling.
Ingram came out as the Pelicans tied their first-round series with the Thunderbirds on Tuesday night. Phoenix SunsWith a victory of 125-114
New Orleans was able to catch a break. Devin BookerWith 4:46 left to go in the third quarter, he suffered a right-hamstring injury. He had scored 31 points during the first half. He injured himself chasing down Jaxson HayesA fast-break dunk by the Pelicans pushed their lead to three and earned a timeout de Monty Williams, Suns coach.
Ingram finished the game with 37 points and 11 rebounds, nine assists and 13 of 21 shooting. He also made all three of those 3s and all eight of the free throws.
“B.I. He’s him. Nance said, “He is that guy.” “I look at guys like B.I. “I watch guys like B.I. [CJ McCollum]Sometimes it feels like they are playing another sport. They are that impressive. That’s what they consider normal. Sometimes the support characters should lift those guys up and tell them, “Hey, that’s you!” I believe you.
“I want to make sure that he understands that the whole team is on his side. Missed shot. Made shot. Turnover. Good pass. Bad pass. I don’t care. I’m rocking along with him. I hope that this boosts his confidence. That is what I want.
Ingram believes hearing Nance say that every game boosts his confidence. He also feels different knowing how dependent his teammates are on him.
Willie Green, Pelicans coach stopped calling plays for Tuesday’s second half and allowed Ingram to run the show.
“This was his finest work.” [games]Green said, “It was on the big platform.” “I’m proud to that young man. He’s a hard worker.”
This was Ingram’s second playoff match after missing the playoffs his first five seasons. Ingram had been with the Lakers, New Orleans, and the Lakers for three of those seasons.
Ingram stated, “Throughout this year, I had confidence that it would be here.” “I wasn’t sure what it would look like but we kept getting better with Willie, who was positive every day and continues to help guys and teach them every day.
Phoenix was unstoppable in the first half, so the Pelicans had their work cut. Booker made 12 of 18 3-pointers, and Booker hit seven more.
Booker scored a goal from the logo right before halftime to give the Suns a 61-56 lead.
However, Booker’s only attempt at scoring in the quarter was denied by the Pelicans in the third period.
The Pelicans had to deal with Booker’s departure. Chris PaulTo help win Game 1, he scored 19 points in the fourth quarter. Paul made 5-of-16 field goals this time.
Green stated that “he started to get it moving a bit late in the fourth period, but we were able contest some shots to get him within the 3-point line.” It will all come down to this. “At the end, we must execute on both ends. We did that.”
New Orleans tried to switch as often as possible, except when it was in the center Jonas ValanciunasMcCollum was present at the game and took multiple shots at the Suns. But McCollum said that sometimes it boils down to missing and making shots.
“We tried to show other stuff, but [Paul has]Man has seen it all. He is a skilled defender and knows exactly what he is doing. McCollum stated that McCollum knows how to get to his spots. McCollum said, “I think the difference was that he didn’t make them tonight. He had some great shots in the last quarter. He made a few 3s that kept them alive. Credit to our staff for doing an excellent job. This game is not without its challenges. It’s a lose-lose game. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t. Tonight, they were made and they weren’t.
Phoenix led 98-97 with 7:47 left, but New Orleans responded quickly with an 8-1 run. Jose AlvaradoNew Orleans’ cushion is provided by Ingram’s assist with a 3 pointer at 5:19.
“Everything was flowing. Ingram stated that everyone was efficient on the floor. All five players made something happen defensively and offensively. Jose was an excellent player and made big shots. [Trey Murphy III]She came in and did an excellent job on the defense end. Today was a great day. We can run off seven and get three stops in one. We are just getting better.”