2 min read • March 10, 2022
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The Pelicans announced on Wednesday that an MRI revealed Brandon Ingram suffered a mild right hamstring strain that will keep him out for at least 7-10 days, at which point he will be re-evaluated.
Ingram was already set to miss his 2nd consecutive game Wednesday after a monstrous 38-point, 9-assist performance in a marathon 138-130 overtime loss to the Nuggets on Sunday.
New Orleans, at 27-38 while patiently awaiting the return of Zion Williamson that is unlikely to come this season, is an abysmal 2-13 without Ingram season and coming off of a 132-111 loss to the Grizzlies without the lanky 24-year-old.
The absence will bleed into a key portion of the Pelicans’ quest for the play-in tournament, with tough games over the next 2 weeks against the Hornets, Suns, Spurs, and Hawks.
New Orleans has fought its way to the No. 10 seed in the West, only 1.5 games back of the Lakers for the 9th spot and with the Trail Balzers and Spurs each within 2 games breathing down its neck.
The Pelicans were in the middle of their best stretch of the season, running off a 9-4 record since February 1 that included wins over the Nuggets, Suns, Jazz, Raptors, and Lakers, before their loss last weekend in Denver.
CJ McCollum, who posted 32 points with 11 assists and 6 rebounds in Tuesday’s loss in Memphis, will absorb almost all of the offensive responsibilities for the Pelicans, working alongside rookie Herbert Jones, big man Jonas Valanciunas, and a mish-mash of rotational pieces led by Devonte Graham, Naji Marshall, and Willy Hernangomez.
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