Pelicans ride Brandon Ingram to Christmas Day upset of Nuggets

The NBA’s plan to showcase Zion Williamson in its Christmas Day nightcap didn’t come to fruition.

But the league still got a show from the New Orleans Pelicans, who rode the hot hand of another former Duke player to an upset of the Denver Nuggets.

Brandon Ingram lights up Nuggets

Brandon Ingram caught fire in Denver, continuing his breakout season that’s largely been obscured by the irrelevance of the Pelicans as New Orleans logged a 112-100 win.

The NBA wanted to showcase Zion Williamson in its Christmas nightcap. It got a show from another former Duke player instead. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The NBA wanted to showcase Zion Williamson in its Christmas nightcap. It got a show from another former Duke player instead. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Those who stayed with the NBA for the final contest of its five-game holiday slate saw Ingram rack up 31 points and seven rebounds while hitting 7-of-9 shots from behind the arc.

The win snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Nuggets, who entered Wednesday’s contest as the hottest team in the Western Conference.

The victory means little to the Pelicans, who improved to 9-23 and remain one of the worst teams in the league. But the continued development of Ingram, who entered Wednesday averaging 25 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists, is a positive sign for the future of a young team.

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