The dynamic duo of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson may be on the verge of fruition as the two combined for 50 points in the New Orleans Pelicans’ Saturday night win over the New York Knicks.
Working with an 18-point lead at the half, New Orleans overcame a third-quarter surge by the Knicks to win 96-87. Here were the highs and lows from the second game of the season.
High points for New Orleans
- Ingram and Williamson weren’t alone in their tear New York. Joined by C.J. McCollum, the three went off for 62 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, and six steals.
- The Pelicans held the Knicks to 18.9% from three-point range and 36.7% from the floor.
- The Smoothie King Center nearly sold out with 16,331 in attendance – just 536 short of selling out for the first time since last season’s play-in game.
Low points for New Orleans
- Crashing the glass was not great for the Pelicans as the team was outrebounded by the Knicks 59-43. Lazy play and lucky bounces led to New York having 16 offensive rebounds compared to New Orleans’ four.
- Fouls were also an issue but not as big of an issue as rebounding. On the day, New Orleans committed 22 fouls compared to the Knicks’ 17.
- The Pelican’s free throw shooting was atrocious at 7-16 or 43.8%. This could become a major concern if not cleaned up quickly.
What the coach is saying
Head coach Willie Green was thinking the same as a lot of fans and that was that it’s nice to see Ingram, Williamson, and McCollum finally have a complete game together. It was the first time in a long time and hopefully the first of many as the Pelicans look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
“They carried us tonight offensively and that’s what they need to do every night,” Green said. “That’s what they’re capable of doing and we’re going to need more.”
The game against the Knicks was the first time Ingram, Williamson, and McCollum each scored double digits in the same game and the most the trio has scored combined for since McCollum was traded to the Pelicans in February 2022. Big Three, anybody?
Other notable performances
Of the seven three-pointers in the first half for the Pelicans, three came off the hands of rookie Jordan Hawkins. The first-round pick out of UConn finished with nine points, four rebounds, and one assist off the bench. Herb Jones added 10 points, two rebounds, and one assist.
Next up
New Orleans (2-0) will have maybe their toughest test of the young season when they host the Golden State Warriors (1-1) on Monday, Oct. 30. The Warriors, who were able to keep their core of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green intact over the offseason, also added veteran point guard Chris Paul to the roster. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
