Is Brandon Ingram Playing vs Lakers? Pelicans Injury Report Ahead Of Crucial Season Finale

The New Orleans Pelicans (49-32) are set to have their final regular season game against the Los Angeles Lakers (46-35) within the next few days. Despite occupying the 6th seed in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns, possess a good chance of displacing their rivals during this crucial stage. Therefore, the Pelicans’ matchup against the Lakers can play a huge role in how the playoffs will turn out for them. As fans await in anticipation, a recently released update provided the much-needed news on the status of one of the franchise’s key players, Brandon Ingram.

On the 14th, reporter Andrew Lopez posted an update about Ingram. Lopez pointed out that the player was ‘questionable’ to face off against LeBron James and Co at the Smoothie King Center in Louisiana. He’s been absent from the main lineup since the 21st of March because of a left knee injury- bone contusion.

Ingram’s return will give the Pelicans a much-needed boost when dealing with the Lakers. Before his injury, the 26-year-old was the team’s second-highest average scorer, right behind Zion Williamson.

His average score of 20.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists remained almost the same during his three previous clashes with the Lakers this season. When playing against them back on the 31st of December 2023, the player tied Williamson’s 26 to defeat the Lakers by a score of 129-109 and broke the three-loss streak established against them. Knowing how valuable he is to their scoring effort, the Pelicans will be glad to have their brother-in-arms by their side in this ‘do-or-die’ situation.

What happened to Brandon Ingram?

The month of March was turning out to be fruitful for the New Orleans Pelicans, thanks to the 6-1 score they had going for themselves. However, a clash against the Orlando Magic brought the team back to reality. As they trailed by 13 points during the third quarter, Brandon Ingram tried to block Magic shooting guard Jalen Suggs from scoring one for his team. This action led to the player getting injured after hyperextending his left knee. Following the instance, Ingram continued clutching his knee and soon had to be escorted to the locker room. An MRI conducted within the next few days revealed that he had developed a left knee bone contusion and that a revaluation would not be done until after two weeks had passed.

Ingram’s injury has caused him to miss out on 13 consecutive games till now, 5 of which the Pelicans have lost. Despite the best efforts by Zion Williamson and other lead scorers, the 26-year-old’s absence was clearly felt during these recent games. As his injury started to heal up, the player started making appearances during shooting sessions and was even seen putting in some on-court work prior to his team’s clash against the Suns on Sunday.

Brandon Ingram’s return will mean an essential boost to the New Orleans Pelicans. It will allow them to enter the playoffs with all of their leading scorers by their side. To qualify for the same, however, they must first get through against the Lakers after winning the Warriors game, now with a 4-game win streak.

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