Brandon Ingram took charge of the Spurs tonight, scoring 43 points in what became a very tough contest courtesy of a career-high 20 assists by fellow ex-Laker Lonzo Ball (17 points), who got his first layup attempt swatted by former teammate, Ingram, before involving Nikolai Vucevic (30 points, 8 rebounds) & sophomore sensation Zion Williamson (30 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks).
Supernova in his own right notwistanding, Ingram benefited from Andre Drummond (12 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks) being a force down low, as the Spurs eventually seized control late after overcoming an eight-point deficit. The Pelicans stayed within two points in the final minute, before a huge 3PTer by Ingram sealed the deal, courtesy of an offensive rebound by Drummond.
The Rest:
Dejounte Murray had 17 points, 7 rebounds & 12 assists. Kent Bazemore also scored 17 points, with 3 steals. P.J. Tucker contributed 12 points, hitting 4 three-pointers. Fred VanVleet had 10 points with 8 assists, whereas Joe Harris buried a trio of threes. The Pelicans only made one 3PT shot as a team. The Spurs pulled away late to win the 4th Quarter, 23-34.
