New Orleans Pelicans star forward Brandon Ingram underwent an MRI that revealed a bone contusion in his left knee, the team announced Friday morning. He’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks, and “additional updates will be appropriately provided.”
Ingram left the Pelicans’ 121-106 loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday night after hyperextending his knee in the third quarter while attempting to defend Orlando guard Jalen Suggs.
Brandon Ingram was helped to the locker room after knee injury
Hope he’s ok 🙏 pic.twitter.com/45WMMjNEfE
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2024
Ingram has played 63 games this season, averaging 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists. While Ingram’s scoring numbers are the lowest they’ve been in his five seasons with the Pelicans after arriving in the 2019 blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis, his impact as a playmaker and much-improved defender has been essential to New Orleans having one of the most successful seasons in franchise history. After their loss to Orlando, the Pelicans hold the Western Conference’s No. 5 seed with a 42-27 record.
While losing Ingram for at least two weeks will be a big blow, the Pelicans should be relieved the injury isn’t more serious. According to the team’s timetable, Ingram will be re-evaluated on April 5, more than two weeks before the first round of the playoffs begins and 11 days before the Play-In Tournament, should the Pelicans slip below the No. 6 seed.
Ingram’s absence, however long, will still significantly impact a heated West playoff race. Currently, the fourth-seeded LA Clippers and the eighth-seeded Sacramento Kings are separated by only 3 1/2 games. New Orleans is just 1 1/2 games behind the Clippers for fourth but also just 1 1/2 games ahead of the seventh-placed Phoenix Suns for a top-six spot. The main goal for New Orleans without Ingram will be maintaining its place among the top six teams in the West to avoid entering the Play-In Tournament for the third year in a row.
Pelicans games over the next two weeks:
3/22 at Miami
3/24 at Detroit
3/26 vs OKC
3/28 vs Milwaukee
3/30 vs Boston
4/1 vs Phoenix
4/3 vs Orlando
4/5 vs San Antonio— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) March 22, 2024
Without Ingram, the pressure on Pels star Zion Williamson will increase exponentially as New Orleans tries to maintain its position until its emotional leader can get back on the court.
If Ingram does not return this season, he will still be eligible to potentially earn All-NBA status despite not reaching the 65-game threshold. The NBA’s new 65-game rule allows players to be eligible if they play in at least 63 games while being available for 85 percent of the team’s games at the time of an injury. The Pelicans have played 69 games so far, and Ingram has played at least 20 minutes in 63 of them. Ingram was eligible to sign a contract extension last summer but chose to wait in case he earned an All-NBA spot and thus earned supermax qualification.
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(Top photo: Wendell Cruz / USA Today)
