The New Orleans Pelicans (5-18) withstood a late rally from the Phoenix Suns (12-9) and emerged with a hard-fought 126-124 victory on December 6. The win snapped the Pelicans’ nine-game losing streak while the Suns continued to stumble on the road, dropping their fourth straight.
Both Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones returned from injuries and made a huge difference. Ingram dropped 29 points, including a 21-point eruption in the third, with 7 rebounds and 2 steals while Jones finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. CJ McCollum tallied 25 points and 6 assists. Trey Murphy III added 19 from the bench.
Devin Booker spearheaded the Suns with 28 points. Bradley Beal dropped 24 while Royce O’Neale had 19. Grayson Allen contributed 13 points and 10 assists. But the Suns clearly struggle without Durant, falling to 1-7.
Ingram and McCollum’s Hot Performance Bury Suns
New Orleans jumped out to an (8-0) lead but the Suns began clicking from three and tied the game. However, the Pelicans closed out the quarter strong, scoring the final 7 points to take the lead. The Suns’ second quarter began with a scare as Beal seemed to tweak his ankle after stepping on Ingram’s foot. But Beal powered through and fueled a 13-2 run that gave his team the momentum. The Pelicans’ bench tried to rally but the Suns held on to their double-digit advantage.
Murray made a strong start to the second half, cutting the Suns’ lead to (62-65). Beal tried to keep the Pelicans at bay but Ingram played out of his mind, knocking down three straight threes to ignite a 19-3 run, helping the Pelicans surge ahead by 10. The fourth was a wild ride, with both teams trading runs. The Suns struck first and tied the game at 101 but the Pelicans pulled away again with an 8-0 run. Phoenix staged another push, pulling within one, but McCollum came up big, hitting clutch shots and making key plays as the Pelicans held on for the win.
The Suns travel to Miami on Sunday while the Pelicans host the Thunder.
