Orlando Magic sneaks up on Knicks in the standings, New Orleans Pelicans suffer tough loss to Brandon Ingram

The New Orleans Pelicans fell short to the Orlando Magic 121-106 at Kia Center, but all eyes are on the status of All-Star forward Brandon Ingram.

It was a tough blow for the Pelicans in this game as All-Star forward Brandon Ingram injured his knee and had to get helped off the court. The 26-year-old was playing defense on Jalen Suggs when his left leg buckled and his knee hyperextended. It is unknown the severity of this injury but this is unfortunate for a team who has made some noise in the tough Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the Magic have been a surprise team this season with their success at such a young age, and first-time All-Star Paolo Banchero is leading the way. The reigning Rookie of the Year is looking like a superstar in this league and has helped his team climb in the standings to potentially earn a top 4 seed (currently tied with the New York Knicks) and host a round 1 playoff series.

The 2022 first overall pick recorded his second career triple-double, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. Jalen Suggs scored a team-high 22 points while Franz Wagner contributed 18 points. Moe Wagner provided 14 points on perfect shooting off the bench.

Zion Williamson finished with 20 points, 7 boards, 2 steals, and 1 block in this game. Trey Murphy III led the team in scoring with 21 points and CJ McCollum ended with 18 points. Brandon Ingram recorded 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in 22 minutes before getting injured.

Orlando improves to 42-28 with this win and is now tied with the Knicks for the 4th seed in the East. This was a huge win for the Magic who is on a dominant run right now. They have won 5 games in a row and have gone 8-2 over their last 10 matchups. Next up on the schedule is a meeting with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

New Orleans drops to 42-27 with this loss and now sit 1.5 games behind the Clippers for the 4th seed in the West. This was a tough loss for the Pelicans but their main focus right now is on the health of their star player. They will find out the results of Ingram’s status over the next couple of days and hopefully it’s good news and he’ll be able to return soon. In the meantime, this team will look to keep on fighting, as they are 7-3 over their last 10 games and will travel to Miami for a matchup against the Heat tomorrow night.