Brandon Ingram scored 22 points in his return to New Orleans but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. After the game, he said he felt welcomed during the visit with his new team and noted how much the city still means to him.
Ingram explained that New Orleans had become a second home after he was traded there by the Lakers in 2019.
“Everybody showed love,” Ingram said about being back in the city.
Reflecting on his time there, he added that the atmosphere and culture always made him feel comfortable.
“It reminded me of home. I can say this, how ‘ghetto’ it was laughs. The slang. Everything. It just reminded me of home,” he told Will Guillory of The Athletic.
“When I traveled around town, it reminded me of Kinston (North Carolina). There was connectivity from me walking in different restaurants, the love that we shared. It always felt like home.”
Wednesday’s matchup also marked the start of a challenging stretch for New Orleans, with nine of their next 10 games coming against teams currently in the playoffs or in the play-in race, Rod Walker of NOLA.com notes.
Head coach James Borrego said the upcoming schedule will provide a good evaluation of where the team stands.
“It’s a great measuring stick to see where we’re at,” Borrego said.
“I think since a little before the All-Star break, we’ve played good basketball. We’ll get tested again here coming up, which is great for us. That’s where you want to be. And we’re going to treat it as such.”
Pelicans Notes: Hot Streak, Murray, Ingram, Tough Stretch https://t.co/agpei6LCW0 pic.twitter.com/rztDlnDCVE
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 12, 2026
