New Orleans is defying all the odds.
The Pelicans are the first team in 46 years to finish a season 10 or more games under .500, then go on to win at least two playoff games — and that doesn't even count the two play-in game victories just to officially reach the postseason.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans started its season 3-16. Now, the pesky Pelicans are proving to be a handful for the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference playoffs.
Brandon Ingram scored 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter and the Pelicans beat the Suns — playing without injured star Devin Booker — 118-103 in Game 4 on Sunday night to tie the first-round series.
PHOENIX (AP) — Brandon Ingram's rolling, Devin Booker's hurting and the New Orleans Pelicans made it clear that this first-round playoff series will be a fight for the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.
Ingram had a fantastic all-around game with 37 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Pelicans over the Suns 125-114 in Game 2 on Tuesday, pulling off the impressive road win to tie the series at 1-all and earn their first postseason victory since 2018.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A franchise player out for the season. A first-year head coach. A 1-12 start. The New Orleans Pelicans overcame it all and stormed back to make the playoffs.
Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the Pelicans rallied from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 105-101 in a play-in Friday night and earn the West’s No.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 105-101 in a play-in Friday night and earn the No.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — CJ McCollum got New Orleans going early and Brandon Ingram took over late to send the Pelicans to Los Angeles for a chance at the final playoff spot.
McCollum scored 27 of his 32 points in the first half to carry the young Pelicans to a 113-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Klay Thompson punctuated his regular season with a fist pump — a display of emotion stemming from far more than his latest flurry of fourth-quarter points.
Thompson made seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 41 points for the Golden State Warriors, who landed the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a 128-107 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 23 points in 29 minutes against his former team and the New Orleans Pelicans moved closer to clinching a home play-in game with a 127-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — CJ McCollum and Jaxson Hayes each scored 23 points and the New Orleans Pelicans clinched a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, beating the Sacramento Kings 123-109 on Tuesday night.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 32 points, Brandon Ingram added 29 against his former team and the New Orleans Pelicans spoiled Anthony Davis' return from injury with another fourth-quarter rally in a 114-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brandon Ingram's strained hamstring healed in time for him to return from a 10-game absence against the team that drafted him — and in a matchup holding postseason implications for both clubs.
ATLANTA (AP) — Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 12 rebounds, CJ McCollum added 25 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Atlanta Hawks 117-112 on Sunday night.
The Pelicans, who moved into ninth place in the Western Conference, have won their last two and three of four and were without leading scorer Brandon Ingram and fourth-leading scorer Devonte’ Graham.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jonas Valanciunas had 32 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans emphatically snapped a four-game skid with a 130-105 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Miles Bridges had 27 points and nine assists, Terry Rozier highlighted his 27-point performance with seven 3-pointers and the Charlotte Hornets put on a shooting exhibition to beat the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans 142-120 on Friday night.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Pelicans scoring leader Brandon Ingram, who sat out games games on Tuesday and Wednesday because of a sore right hamstring, will be sidelined at least another week, the club announced Wednesday night.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 29 points and C.J. McCollum added 24 to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 124-90 victory Friday night over the Utah Jazz.
In winning their fourth consecutive game since the All-Star break, the Pelicans led by as many as 37 points, 86-49, with 4:08 left in the third quarter.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 33 points on 15-of-19 shooting and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings 125-95 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory.
Ingram scored 28 of his points before being briefly forced out of the game by an elbow to the face from Damian Jones.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans are starting to find their stride since acquiring CJ McCollum nearly three weeks ago. Two nights after a surprising win at Phoenix, the Pelicans rolled to their biggest victory over the reeling Los Angeles Lakers.
PHOENIX (AP) — CJ McCollum's still working on his on-court chemistry with Brandon Ingram and the rest of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The early returns are promising.
McCollum continued his scorching start with his new team by scoring 32 points, Ingram added 28 and the Pelicans earned an impressive road win over the Phoenix Suns, 117-102 on Friday night.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — CJ McCollum's first victory with New Orleans was one of the Pelicans' most dominant performances of the season.
McCollum, who was traded from Portland last week, scored 23 points and the Pelicans overall shot a season-best 58.4% to defeat the Toronto Raptors 120-90 on Monday night.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans acknowledged that the emotions that came with losing teammates they care about personally in a significant trade might have contributed to a slow start against the reeling Houston Rockets.
HOUSTON (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 33 points and tied a career high with 12 assists as the New Orleans Pelicans used a big third quarter to take control of the game and get a 120-107 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.