Pelicans hold off Magic to stretch win streak to four

No Jonas Valanciunas, no Nickeil Alexander-Walker, no problem.

Add Naji Marshall to the mix as well.

The current state of the New Orleans Pelicans can withstand such absences as there is no lack of effort absent from the present squad on each game night.

That was the case again Thursday night in Orlando as New Orleans held off a rally by the Magic in a 110-104 victory.

New Orleans built a 20-point lead and had to hang on with Josh Hart hitting a pair of key 3-pointers when it mattered most.

The win was the fourth straight for the Pelicans, who remain two games out of the 10th and final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

First-year coach Willie Green is finding his niche and the team is finding its niche, buying into to what Green and his staff are preaching.

As the axiom suggests, “trust is a must or you will go bust.”

Green says his players are trusting each other and trusting the coaches.

In the process, the Pelicans are sweeping off the dust of what looked like a lost season not very long ago, just by working hard on both ends of the floor and by watching its star player playing like a star.

Brandon Ingram has been that star and must continue to be just that.

In his last 14 games, Ingram has averaged 25.8 points, six rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field. Ingram is making the key pass, not trying to play hero ball when the play simply is not there. That is trusting his teammates.

More importantly, Ingram is stepping up in crunch time, with the game on the line and accepting the challenge and responsibility and meeting it very well to be the man, the go-to-guy to finish and win close games.

The Pelicans have done just that.

Three of the four wins have been as close as you can get.

That includes the 113-110 win over the Thunder on Devonte’ Graham’s 61-foot shot in which Ingram pumped in 34 points.

It includes the 116-112 overtime win over the Bucks in which Ingram scored 22 points.

It also includes the win at Orlando in which Ingram scored 31 points.

For New Orleans to be competitive, competent and to challenge for a playoff spot, it needs Ingram to be a star, its star, with all due respect to Valanciunas, who is deserving of strong consideration for the All-Star game.

At 12-21, the Pelicans are back in the playoff chase in the suddenly not-so-good Western Conference.

Next up is another winnable game at Oklahoma City, an 11-20 team that is just behind the Pelicans by percentage points in the standings.

The hope is that Valanciunas can return, that Willy Hernangomez can return to his role off the bench where he has excelled and that Tomas Satoransky and Trey Murphy III can contribute as they did at Orlando.

For a fan base which has waned due to a lingering pandemic and lingering losing, the uptick is encouraging, welcome, a present at Christmas to accept and receive.