Photo credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
Duke Basketball Product Makes NBA History With In-Game 3-Point Streak
According to StatMuse, LeBron James, Steph Curry, and former Duke basketball forward Brandon Ingram are the last three to post 40 points without a turnover in 30 minutes or less. Ingram is the latest, as the eighth-year pro powered the New Orleans Pelicans to Monday night's 138-100 home win over the Toronto Raptors.
His 41 points were a season-high. And Ingram's performance was highly efficient: 16-for-21 from the field, 8-for-11 from downtown, and 1-for-1 at the charity stripe. The former No. 2 overall draft pick added six rebounds, nine assists, and one block across his 29 minutes and 58 seconds.
Ingram's 20-point third quarter was a masterpiece. It included a 3-point make on five consecutive Pelicans possessions, the longest such streak by any NBA player, regular season or playoffs, since at least 1997-98, per ESPN's Andrew Lopez.
Fellow Pelicans starting forward and Duke basketball pro Zion Williamson tallied 16 points, three rebounds, five assists, and one block in 22 minutes on the floor. The former No. 1 overall draft pick, still averaging 0.3 points more than Brandon Ingram with his team-high 22.1 per game, shot 5-for-8 from the field and 6-for-6 at the line.
So, the pair of Bayou Blue Devils totaled a 21-for-29 clip from the field (7-for-7 free throws) as New Orleans, tied with the Phoenix Suns at No. 6 in the Western Conference standings, won its third straight and improved to 29-21 on the season.
As for Toronto's two former one-and-done Blue Devil guards, RJ Barrett was sidelined due to right knee injury management, and Gary Trent Jr. was in the starting lineup but saw only 15 minutes of action and finished with two points and one rebound. The Raptors (17-33), No. 12 in the East, have now lost three in a row.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more updates on NBA Blue Devils and other Duke basketball news.