Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, right, tries to steal the ball from New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Nate Billings
The New Orleans Pelicans aren’t just disappointed that Brandon Ingram is injured.
They also are disappointed in how he got injured.
It’s why the team sent video to the league office of the play Ingram suffered a high-grade low left ankle sprain in Saturday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ingram is out indefinitely after going up for a shot and landing on the foot of OKC’s Lu Dort.
“If you go back and watch that play, he (Dort) got up under B.I,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said Tuesday. “They called an offensive foul and we didn’t agree with that.”
Green said the Pelicans haven’t heard back from the league about the play that occurred with 11:43 remaining in the third quarter.
Ingram’s elbow hit Dort in the face as he went up for the shot, thus drawing the offensive foul call.
Green challenged the call and the referees reviewed the play, but they stuck with the original call.
Ingram is the Pelicans leading scorer this season, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists in the 18 games he’s played. The injury came in his second game back after sitting out the previous five game with a calf injury. It’s the fourth straight season he’s missed significant time. He’s missed 82 games the previous three seasons.
“Mentally, having the injury has been tough for him,” Green said. “I’ve had a chance to talk with him. It’s going to be something that he has to continue to try to take some positives out of it, take it day-by-day and attack each day. The good news is it’s not career ending. It’s not career threatening. It’s not season threatening. It’s just a matter of how soon can he get back to himself.”