By now, New Orleans Pelicans supporters are all too accustomed to this. The team has had a number of successful seasons in which they have advanced to the postseason, but in several of those seasons, a big injury has prevented them from having a crucial component of the puzzle (the absence of Zion Williamson in 2022 and David West in 2011 being especially concerning). It might be occurring again right now.One-time All-Star Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram seemed to hyperextend his left knee while defending a cutting Jalen Suggs during Thursday night’s 121-106 thrashing at the hands of the Orlando Magic. He then fell into the ground in a heap. And for that reason, he could not get off the hardwood by himself. After being ruled out of the fight by New Orleans, Ingram did not rejoin the fight.
If Ingram is unable to play again this season, it could crater New Orleans’ postseason hopes. With the loss, the Pelicans’ record is now 42-27, though the team remains in fifth place. The team is doing its darnedest to avoid the Western Conference’s play-in bracket. New Orleans is currently just 1.5 games ahead of the seventh-seeded Phoenix Suns. Should Ingram be unavailable for the rest of the regular season, the Pelicans could fall back into the pack a bit. They’d also lose one of their most multifaceted and prolific scorers, a matchup nightmare for the opposition. The victory, Orlando’s fifth straight, propelled the Magic to a 42-28 record and the East’s four seed, allowing them to leapfrog the New York Knicks.
Ingram had been performing admirably up to that point. The 6’8″ former Duke Blue Devil would finish with 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in 21:29. His midrange game was particularly strong.
