Brandon Ingram's 28 Points Lead Pelicans to 123-111 Win over RJ Barrett, Knicks

Friday's game between the New Orleans Pelicans and New York Knicks was supposed to be the first of two showdowns this season between rookies Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, former teammates at Duke. Instead, with Williamson injured, it was a matchup between two teams on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

New Orleans won the game 123-111 at Madison Square Garden behind impressive performances from Brandon Ingram and Jaxson Hayes. The Pelicans appear to be turning things around and are 7-2 in their last nine despite a 14-25 record.

As for the free-falling Knicks, they are 10-29 following a fifth straight loss.

Brandon Ingram Reel vs. Knicks

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Notable Player Stats

• NOP F Brandon Ingram: 28 points, nine assists and six rebounds
• NOP C Jaxson Hayes: 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks
• NOP G Lonzo Ball: 15 points, 11 assists and six rebounds
• NYK F Taj Gibson: 19 points and eight rebounds
• NYK G RJ Barrett: 16 points, nine rebounds and two steals

Brandon Ingram, Jaxson Hayes Help Pelicans Overcome Injuries

Williamson is the headline-making injury for the Pelicans, but he isn't the only difference-maker sidelined. Jrue Holiday missed his third game in a row, and Derrick Favors exited in the first half with a setback of his own.

Holiday in particular is a difficult loss because he thrives on the defensive side and sets up the offense as the facilitator who can attack the basket and hit from the outside. New Orleans needed someone to lead the way without him against the Knicks.

Enter Ingram.

Talent has never been the question with the Duke product. After all, one doesn't enter the league as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft without it, and his combination of length and athleticism drew natural Kevin Durant comparisons from the moment he stepped on the floor.

While he never lived up to expectations on the Los Angeles Lakers because of a combination of injuries, fit and underperforming teams, that has not been the case with New Orleans.

He is a major reason the Pelicans are playing well of late. He scored 24 or more points in five of his final six games in December and notched a double-double in the one he didn't. He also poured in 35 points Monday against the Utah Jazz and 29 on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.

Ingram did the heavy lifting in the scoring department Friday with 17 points in the first half, hitting from beyond the arc and attacking the basket. New Orleans also needed him to be more of a facilitator without Holiday, and he didn't hesitate to do that when he got into the lane and the defense collapsed.

His facilitating helped Hayes anchor the interior attack, as the big man benefitted from a number of lobs and dumps underneath from Ingram and Lonzo Ball while controlling the glass without Favors in the second half.

The pairing was enough for the Pelicans against an overmatched opponent, although they likely need a full complement of players if they are going to challenge for a playoff spot in the Western Conference down the stretch.

What's Next?

The Pelicans are at TD Garden to play the Boston Celtics on Saturday, while the Knicks host the Miami Heat on Sunday.