Brandon Ingram's Triple-Double Leads Pelicans Past Hornets

The New Orleans Pelicans notch their third-straight victory by defeating the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, March 23.

NEW ORLEANS — Brandon Ingram's career night propelled the New Orleans Pelicans to a 115-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. He was relentless on a basketball court, notching a triple-double of 30 points, eleven rebounds, and ten assists. The all-important win pushes the Pelicans' record to 36-37 on the season. 

Mar 23, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards (4) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Ingram's 17 points got the Pelicans off to a quick start shooting 51% from the field to lead led the Hornets 37-24 in the first quarter. New Orleans scored nine points off Charlotte's four turnovers. Hornets' guard Terry Rozier injured his foot and would not return.

Charlotte opened the second quarter on a 9-2 run to cut the Pelicans' lead down to 6. The Hornets won the quarter 33-25 thanks to 53% shooting from the field. They would lose another player to injury. This time forward, Kelly Oubre left with a shoulder sprain. Charlotte would be down to three bench players available for the rest of the game. New Orleans held a 62-57 halftime lead.

Ingram was held to two points in the second quarter but turned things around after halftime. He scored 11 points and grabbed a rebound with about a minute left in the quarter to complete his first career triple-double. The Pelicans wore down the depleted Hornets, who scored just 39 points in the second half. 

New Orleans won the rebounding battle against the Hornets 52-38, thanks to Jonas Valanciunas grabbing 19 rebounds. Valanciunas scored 20 points, and the Pelicans had five players in double-figures. PJ Washington led the Hornets in scoring with 18 points on the night. The triple-double for Ingram was the third time in franchise history a player completed the feat before the fourth quarter. 

The victory ends the current home stand for the Pelicans, and now they will head on the road for four straight games. New Orleans is tied for 11th place in the Western Conference but is only one game in the loss column behind the sixth-place Warriors. The Pelicans travel to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers Saturday before heading to Portland to face the Trail Blazers. 

Read Pelicans Scoop Articles

• Sweet 16 Prospects For Pelicans
• Coach Green Comments On Team's Body Language
• CJ McCollum Career At A Crossroads
• Pelicans Release New Zion Williamson Injury Update
• NBA Championship Formula Revisited
• Willie Green's Rotations Need More Time To Build Rhythm
• Herb Jones As Center Unlocks Options For Pelicans
• 5 Lineups To Lean On, And Learn From, These Last 5 Weeks