NBA: Pelicans pummel Pistons as Brandon Ingram returns

Brandon Ingram returned after a 5-game absence due to an ankle injury on Tuesday night as the New Orleans Pelicans took down the Detroit Pistons 111-101 at Little Caesars Arena. Ingram scored a game-high 26 points, four assists and three rebounds on 44% shooting from the field. New Orleans trailed 76-61 with 7:38 left in the third quarter before outscoring Detroit by 25 points the rest of the way. Cade Cunningham left midway through the quarter with a right hip pointer and did not return. Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 13 rebounds the Pelicans snapped a 4-game losing streak. Jerami Grant (sprained right thumb) scored 17 points on 3/6 shooting from 3-point range in his first game since early December.

Cunningham finished with six points and five rebounds in 21 minutes, while Corey Joseph had a team-high 18 points in the loss. Trey Murphy added 12 points and five rebounds off the Pelicans bench. Ingram was ejected late in the fourth quarter after blocking Frank Jackson’s shot and jokingly screaming in his face. Both went to Duke and played together in New Orleans. Ingram picked up his second technical (after getting one in the first half for arguing a foul) and was subsequently tossed. Jackson had 14 points off the Pistons bench. The Pelicans, who travel to play the Denver Nuggets on Friday, finished with more offensive rebounds (16-6) and points off turnovers (16-12) in the win. Detroit will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.

Follow on Twitter.

Subscribe on YouTube.

Photo Credit: Sports Network.