Ingram scores 30 as Pelicans top Pacers 114-113

Updated Feb. 5, 2021 11:07 p.m. ET

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Brandon Ingram turned in a terrific performance for New Orleans, and Lonzo Ball finished the job.

Ingram scored 30 points to help the Pelicans top the Indiana Pacers 114-113 on Friday night.

Ball added 20 points and nine rebounds as New Orleans won for the fourth time in six games. Zion Williamson had 18 points, and Steven Adams finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Pelicans led by as many as 18 in the third quarter, but the Pacers rallied in the fourth and Justin Holiday’s seventh 3-pointer gave Indiana a 105-104 lead with 4:02 remaining.

Ball made four 3s in the final period to help New Orleans escape with the win. He also came up with a key defensive stop in the final seconds.

Pacers center Myles Turner drove the lane and Ball contested the 5-foot shot, which bounced off the outside of the rim and glass.

“I just did the best I could,” Ball said. “I wish the game never got to that point really.”

The Pelicans earned possession after a scrum resulted in a jump ball with 0.5 seconds remaining.

“Lonzo was right there,” Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Great defensive stop.”

Holiday led Indiana with 22 points. Jeremy Lamb scored 17 points, and reserve T.J. McConnell had nine points and 15 assists.

“This group could have easily quit, but that’s not who we are,” McConnell said. “We’re never going to lay down.”

The Pacers outscored the Pelicans 38-28 in the fourth quarter. Coach Nate Bjorkgren stuck with his second team for nearly the entire final period.

“They deserved to play all the way to the horn,” Bjorkgren said.

Two nights after scoring a career-high 33 points at Milwaukee, Pacers All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis kept missing hooks and jump shots in the paint. He ended up with just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting. He sat out the fourth quarter of Indiana's third loss in four games.

TIP-INS

Pelicans: Williamson ranked No. 1 among active players in his first 40 games with 920 points. He also leads the league in points in the paint with an 18.1 average.

Pacers: Allowed season-high 130 points Wednesday after scoring a season-high 134 points on Tuesday. ... Doug McDermott scored 14 points, and Malcolm Brogdon had 13. Turner finished with 12.

CHECK THAT RIM

The second half was delayed for about 15 minutes as a Bankers Life Fieldhouse worker climbed a ladder to fix the rim in front of the Pelicans bench. Williamson grabbed the rim with such ferocity on a first-half dunk, it wasn’t level. The rim initially wouldn’t cooperate and needed to be tugged repeatedly.

UP NEXT

Pelicans: Host Memphis on Saturday.

Pacers: Host Utah on Sunday.

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