The #NBA #Ingram New Orleans Pelicans defeated the #DamianLillard #Trailblazers 125-124

CJ McCollum scored 28 points to lead the NBA Ingram New Orleans Pelicans past Damian Lillard Trailblazers 125-124 on Tuesday night. After four straight losses, this one proved different for them.

New Orleans built a 17-point lead early in the second quarter before the Blazers rallied. With 6:53 remaining, Ingram hit a 3-pointer for his third of the game to make it 115-98 with 6:53 remaining.

Points

The New Orleans Pelicans have won four straight games and are one-half game ahead of the Portland Trailblazers for the final Western Conference play-in berth. But their play has been inconsistent lately; they will look to snap their streak Wednesday against Portland at Smoothie King Center.

New Orleans will need to rely on CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, who both returned Tuesday after missing the previous four games due to knee injuries. Ingram scored a season-high 21 points while McCollum added 24 in front of an adoring crowd at the Superdome.

With 4:37 remaining in the fourth quarter, Portland led 87-82. But Williamson's dunk with 1:20 left cut the lead back to 87-82 and Lillard had just enough for Portland to hold on with a 3-pointer and driving floater that made it 93-89 with 3:26 remaining. Unfortunately, Ingram missed his jumper attempt while Ball missed his floater attempt from opposite end.

Ingram had a quiet first three quarters, but he found his groove in the fourth. He hit three shots - including one from distance - plus an 18-footer to put them ahead by 16 with just over six minutes remaining. All four shots made during that final period culminated with Ingram hitting two free throws for the win.

Meanwhile, the Blazers were limited to 17 second-quarter points and just five in the third. Nickeil Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 14 points during this span and also grabbed eight rebounds for his team.

Damian Lillard scored a career-high 43 points to lead the Trail Blazers to another loss, their sixth in seven games and drop into 12th place in the Western Conference. Jerami Grant added 28 points, Robert Covington had 23 and Matisse Thybulle added 12.

Rebounds

On Tuesday night, the NBA Ingram New Orleans Pelicans defeated Damian Lillard Trailblazers 121-110. It was an intense contest as both teams traded leads several times throughout the first half before New Orleans took control in the fourth quarter.

The Pelicans outrebounded Portland by 20 points, which is an encouraging sign heading into the playoffs. Furthermore, they outscored the Trail Blazers 13 points in the paint to take control of the game.

Ingram scored a team-high 30 points on 11 of 18 shooting and 8 of 9 from the free throw line to help his team pull away in an epic battle. Additionally, he made an important late steal on McCollum's pass that had been out with a foot injury.

Lillard led the Trailblazers with 41 points on 16 of 23 shooting, adding eight rebounds and seven assists. Despite missing three months with a calf injury, Lillard is still the league's top scorer with an average of 24.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game this year.

Despite their loss, the pelicans remain one half game ahead of Portland for the final play-in berth in the Western Conference. Furthermore, they're just 7-18 without Zion Williamson (hamstring).

The Pelicans are still without their star player and it looks like he may not return until after the All-Star break. That leaves a lot of room for improvement for the team, but it is essential to remember that Ingram is currently one of the best players in the league and should provide an invaluable boost as the season progresses. Since returning from his toe injury in January, Ingram has been making strides towards full fitness; hopefully he can keep this momentum going when he returns to play basketball again.

Assists

NBA Ingram returned to action after missing the first 29 games due to a toe injury, and has been producing impressive stats ever since. On Monday against Orlando he had 25 points, six rebounds and five assists; then on Tuesday against Atlanta he finished with 30 points (11-18 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 8-9 FT), eight assists and three rebounds in 36 minutes against the Hawks.

Ingram is an invaluable passing option for the Pelicans, boasting superior court vision and greater versatility than any other player on the team. Even CJ McCollum - who leads in assists - struggles to make a variety of passes; Ingram's range makes him much more effective.

Ingram's development has been a key factor in the Pelicans' success this season in half-court sets. He has shown mastery over weakside cuts and been an incredibly reliable pass-maker when called upon for that role.

He's made plays for teammates when they needed them most and has also become the go-to guy to score when other players aren't in the paint. As a key component of the New Orleans Pelicans, his playmaking ability could help the team win more games this season.

On Wednesday night, Ingram was a major factor in the Pelicans' 121-110 triumph over the Trailblazers. He scored a season-high 40 points and CJ McCollum provided an impressive supporting cast with 24 points and seven assists.

Steals

On Tuesday night, Ingram was a force on defense and helped propel New Orleans to their first three-game winning streak of the season. He scored 28 points and Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 22 more in the second half as New Orleans crushed Damian Lillard Trailblazers 111-97. Josh Hart scored 20 points while Willy Hernangomez chipped in with 13 for the Pelicans, who shot 52.5% as they won their eighth game after going 3-16 during which All-Star forward Zion Williamsons returned from an offseason foot injury.

For the first three games of this season, the Pelicans defense ranked fourth in NBA steals per game. In this contest against the Trailblazers, they limited Dame to just three shots from beyond the arc - including one 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation time.

This was Ingram's best performance since returning from an extended toe injury, and it showed on both ends of the floor. He recorded his third double-double of the season along with career highs in assists and efficiency.

He tied his career high in rebounds with 10 in the win, now ranking as the fifth-most by any Pelicans player this season.

Steals:

The Pelicans defense has been on fire in the second half, holding Portland to just one basket in a quarter. In fact, they haven't scored more than six points in nine minutes of regulation during either of their two wins over the Pelicans this season. Furthermore, each quarter during this stretch has seen them keep opponents under a field goal.

Free Throws

On Tuesday night, the NBA Ingram New Orleans Pelicans scored five free throws to secure a 125-124 victory over Damian Lillard's Trailblazers. After being down 17 points with five minutes remaining, Portland had an opportunity to seal it with two Lillard free throws with 1.2 seconds left, but Brandon Ingram missed both shots.

Ingram's performance in this game was outstanding for a first-year player, as he finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and three assists while demonstrating that he can handle pressure under duress. It earned him an invitation to the All-Star Game as a reserve.

He has now averaged 25.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in his first year with the Pelicans, becoming a crucial cog in their success. Furthermore, his shooting has been outstanding - shooting an impressive 69.4% from the field this game while adding 1.7 three-pointers as well.

The Blazers' win over the Pelicans marked their fifth in a row and took them to 18-10 on the season. That puts them fourth in the Western Conference, just half a game ahead of their rivals.

The Blazers started the night off strong, taking an 8-0 lead on hustle plays and 3-pointers from Damian Lillard. The Pelicans attempted to rally, going on an 8-0 run that saw Lonzo Ball pull them within 88-83 with 4:13 remaining. But the Blazers held New Orleans to 3-for-10 shooting and 1-for-3 from beyond the arc in the final 5:55 while also turning 17 Pelicans turnovers into 21 points.