Tag: Brandon Ingram

Team USA roster: Here are the players heading to the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines

Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards and Mikal Bridges are the headliners.

The U.S. men’s national team is headed to the Philippines to participate in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the roster will have many new faces.

The United States had a stacked roster (including James Harden, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving) and won a gold medal during the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.

But, while led by Donovan Mitchell as well as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the United States failed to medal during the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

Quite a lot has changed since then, however, with Steve Kerr replacing Gregg Popovich as the head coach. Meanwhile, under the leadership of Grant Hill instead of longtime director Jerry Colangelo, NBA players are reportedly no longer required to “try out” for Team USA.

The Americans who were tapped for the roster will play their first game against New Zealand on August 26. They will then face off against Greece, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, on Aug. 28.

Team USA (-180) is currently the favorite to win the tournament, per DraftKings. Serbia (+800), Greece (+900) and Slovenia (+1000) are also projected with the next-best odds.

Based on reporting so far, here are the 10 players who will be heading to the Philippines. Expect two more NBA players (potentially Desmond Bane and Alex Caruso) to commit to the roster before the official roster is announced.

Mic’d-up video shows what Draymond Green said to Brandon Ingram during Warriors-Pelicans altercation

Draymond Green wanted to know if the Pelicans were going to do anything.

It was a scrappy game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Golden State Warriors, and Draymond Green was at the center of the action.

The Warriors won behind after a crucial 3-pointer by Golden State’s Klay Thompson. But beforehand, while trailing the Pelicans during the second half of the game, tensions were high between the four-time NBA Finals champion and Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram.

While it was originally unclear what was said between the two forwards, a new mic’d-up video gives us a pretty indication of what happened during the high-intensity exchange.

Note that NSFW words were either bleeped out or omitted.

Green was seen yelling “how?!” over and over again. He was also heard repeatedly saying, “Are you going to do something?” before the situation finally de-escalated.

Ingram and Green were both issued technical fouls following the play. Green was given a flagrant foul for his actions as well.

Then during the next play, Green became entangled with Pelicans wing Herbert Jones (who earlier politely informed Green that his coach was taking him out of the game) and he appeared to dangerously kick his head.

This was just an all-around chaotic game for Green. At one point, Warriors executive Bob Myers even had to come down to the bench to try and calm down the former Defensive Playe of the Year.

Green needs to avoid getting another technical foul or he faces a suspension for collecting the 18th of his season. Golden State needs Green on the court during the final stretch of the season.

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Young Rockets center Alperen Sengun earns respect of veteran Jonas Valanciunas

“He is playing hard, and he is talented,” Jonas ValančiĆ«nas says of Alperen Sengun. “He has a bright future. We were battling, and he is not backing down, and that is what I like.” #Rockets

HOUSTON — Coming into the two-game home series against the New Orleans Pelicans always appeared to be a tough battle for the young and upcoming Rockets. Although they had won back-to-back games against the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, two teams currently positioned to be a part of the 2023 NBA playoffs, New Orleans presented a conundrum for the home team.

The Pelicans’ ability to score from the perimeter with a solid tandem of C.J. McCollum and Brandon Ingram while having a strong low-post presence with Jonas ValančiĆ«nas has often caused issues for Houston.

Houston split the weekend series, but the games were about more than results. Instead, it was about a young Rockets team growing and developing as the 2022-23 season dwindles to a close.

In the NBA, it’s not easy being a 20-year-old player in his second season who is still learning the game. That’s especially the case when matched up against a very physical and crafty 10-year veteran who knows all the tricks to score and draw fouls in the paint.

That’s what Rockets starting center Alperen Sengun was asked to do against ValančiĆ«nas. The Turkish big man was going to be difficult when he saw the games on the schedule, and he was up for the challenge — no matter what the outcomes would be.

Although ValančiĆ«nas won the two-game battle on the interior by averaging 21.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game, Sengun made him work hard for the majority of each game.

“I told him after the game that I thought his effort on the defensive end was his best effort all season,” Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said of Sengun following Sunday’s game. “I was really proud of Alpi and his defensive effort tonight.”

Silas wasn’t the only one who recognized Sengun’s work. His opponent acknowledged the work of Houston’s young center, as well.

“He is playing hard, and he is talented,” said ValančiĆ«nas. “He has a bright future. If he is going to keep working and keep doing what he does, he is going to be good. We were battling, and he is not backing down, and that is what I like. He is tough, and if he is going to continue doing that, he is going to be good, for sure.”

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Jalen Green drops efficient 40 points as Pelicans hold off Rockets

The Pelicans got revenge after Friday’s wild finish, but Jalen Green showed promising signs with his fifth 40+ point game of the past year, and it came on strong efficiency. #Rockets

The New Orleans Pelicans got some revenge on the Rockets in Sunday’s 117-107 final (box score) at Toyota Center. But within the context of Houston’s obvious rebuilding movement, there were more positive signs from one of their most promising prospects.

Second-year Rockets guard Jalen Green finished with the fifth 40+ point game of his young NBA career (and his fourth since January), and he did it on strong efficiency — scoring 40 on 11-of-22 shooting (50.0%), 4-of-9 on 3-pointers (44.4%), and 14-of-14 on free throws.

Backcourt mate Kevin Porter Jr. was strong for the Rockets, as well, with 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 7-of-15 shooting (46.7%) and 3-of-9 from 3-point range (33.3%).

For both teams, it was an immediate rematch in the same arena of Friday’s buzzer-beating thriller, which rookie Jabari Smith Jr. salvaged for the host Rockets with only 0.4 seconds left.

On Sunday, however, Smith struggled, scoring just 8 points in the rematch on 2-of-10 shooting (20.0%) and 0-of-4 on 3-pointers. Second-year center Alperen Sengun had some struggles, as well, finishing with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists but shooting just 3-of-8 from the field (37.5%) while fouling out in 31 minutes.

Veteran stars Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum each scored 26 points on 50% shooting, while big man Jonas Valanciunas had 21 points and 11 rebounds. Ingram also dished out 9 assists on a night when the Pelicans were sharp from 3-point range, making 13-of-31 (41.9%). By contrast, Houston shot just 9-of-33 from deep (27.3%).

The Rockets fell to 18-53 with the loss, and they remain in last place in the Western Conference. The Pelicans improved to 34-37 and remain in contention for a potential berth in the West’s play-in tournament, which would give them a chance to make the playoffs.

Next up for the Rockets is defending NBA champion Golden State, which visits Houston on Monday to wrap up a six-game homestand at Toyota Center. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. Central. Until then, here’s our look at Sunday’s highlights, analysis, postgame interviews, and more.

Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. enjoys ‘special moment’ of game winner

“I felt like I was in a video game,” #Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. says. “It was crazy. It was like I didn’t see anybody else. The gym went blank; it was just me and him.”

HOUSTON — The Rockets’ young and energetic team had every right to be excited about playing another game in front of their home crowd, coming off two big season wins against the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. They were also elated to have an opportunity to win three games in a row for the first time this season.

Yet, when they took the court Friday, it looked as if they were still stuck in the past two games. New Orleans raced out to a 26-12 lead midway through the first quarter, seemingly before the Rockets realized they were playing a game. They looked sluggish on defense, allowing the Pelicans to go 6-for-6 from 3-point range.

It seemed like one of those nights where Houston’s youth and inexperience would kick in, and New Orleans would run their rebuilding opponents off the court. By the third quarter, the Rockets were falling consistently victim to open jump shots by Brandon Ingram and physical post play from Jonas Valanciunas.

“For a while, JV (Jonas Valanciunas) was just going at us and posting us up,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. “We tried to do different things, as far as Alpi (Alperen Sengun) and having Uz (Usman Garuba) guard him. In the second quarter, we put Bobi (Boban Marjanovic) on him for a little while. We double-teamed him. We did a little bit of everything.”

Adding to the problem, Houston’s young players seemingly allowed the officials to get inside their heads in the second and third quarters. It started to look like the rebuilding Rockets of old, who would often mentally check out of games when they faced adversity.

But this differs from the adolescent team the Pelicans defeated twice earlier this season. This team of young players has grown over the last eight games, in which they’ve posted a 5-3 record.

Over that time, the Rockets have built chemistry and morale, which are traits they can take with them into next season. On Friday, they never gave up hope. Even by 14 points with under 10 minutes left, Houston knew it had to get back to playing its brand of basketball.

For the Rockets, that brand is playing with hustle, grit, and determination. It’s something Pelicans head coach Willie Green said he expected Houston to do coming into Friday’s game.

“They are a young team, and they are talented,” Green said in his pregame press conference. “If you don’t take them seriously to start the game and have a level of discipline of how you approach the game, you can run into trouble real quick,”

Trouble is what New Orleans had over the game’s final nine minutes, as the Rockets went on a 23-13 run to cut the lead from 14 to just a point. After Ingram missed a shot, Kevin Porter Jr. was able to secure the rebound, leading to Houston’s timeout with 4.0 seconds left.

To inbound the ball, Silas elected to go with one of his better passers in forward Jae’Sean Tate. He looked things over and waited, hoping to find Porter or Jalen Green heading toward the basket.

But both options were closed off to Tate. Instead, he went with his final option of throwing the ball to Jabari Smith Jr. in the backcourt, who methodically advanced his way past midcourt.

Smith clapped his hands at a rapid pace, signaling Tate to pass him the ball. When he received it, he took two dribbles to his right and rose above 6-foot-7  forward Naji Marshall and buried a 3-pointer, giving the Rockets a 114-112 lead with 0.4 seconds remaining. That shot provided Houston with the winning margin after the Pelicans failed to inbound the ball over Marjanovic’s outstretched arms.

“I wasn’t the first option. But as the first few options weren’t open, I just flashed to the ball and just trusted myself,” said Smith, whose game-winning basket was his only shot attempt in the fourth quarter.

“I felt like I was in a video game. It was crazy. It was like I didn’t see anybody else. The gym went blank; it was just me and him. It was a special moment, for sure.”

Houston (18-52), which is now on its first three-game winning streak of the season, will look to extend its winning streak to four games when they face the Pelicans again on Sunday at Toyota Center. New Orleans (33-37) remains in the Western Conference playoff race.

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Saints QB Derek Carr and his family draw cheers at Pelicans-Thunder game

Saints QB Derek Carr and his family drew cheers from the home crowd in New Orleans at Saturday night’s Pelicans-Thunder game, via @DillySanders:

Newly-signed New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr took his family to the New Orleans Pelicans game on Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Smoothie King Center. They were able to sit courtside, and were welcomed by the home-crowd fans with an uproar of applause.

Carr and his sons Dallas, Deker and Deakon along with daughter Brooklyn and wife Heather have been given the superstar treatment by the Saints and Pelicans organizations for his first day in the city.

The Pelicans would go on to lose the game to the Thunder by a score of 110-96, giving him a realistic outlook on the current state of the team. Maybe he can make another trip when Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram return.

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Brandon Ingram bizarrely bit Jose Alvarado on the Pelicans bench

Uh, what was Ingram doing here?

The New Orleans Pelicans received a considerable boost Wednesday night as they fought for their playoff lives in the Western Conference. A big 113-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks kept 10th-seeded New Orleans within striking distance of the bottom four playoff teams in the conference standings.

But guard Brandon Ingram perhaps weirdly took some of his mid-game celebrations a little too far.

While Ingram was seated next to teammate Jose Alvarado on the bench, he leaned after doing a shimmy and proceeded to bite Alvarado’s shoulder. Not only was the bite itself weird, Ingram lingered a little bit before Alvarado pushed him away out of pain.

Uh, that certainly happened, didn’t it?

I don’t want to ascribe malicious intent to this because Ingram and Alvarado are teammates. But it’s still kind of jarring to see another human being just … bite someone else … for fun?

I guess if that chemistry mix works for the Pelicans, they shouldn’t change it up. I mean, they should, but they (meaning, Ingram) probably wouldn’t listen to me.

The New Orleans Pelicans are a legitimate NBA title contender and it’s time to take them more seriously

Zion Williamson’s Pelicans could be playing deep into June

Welcome to Layup Lines, our basketball newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon

What’s happening, family? It’s Sykes, once again, with another edition of Layup Lines. Can we talk about the Pelicans for a sec?

The brutal beatdown the Boston Celtics gave the Phoenix Suns has left more questions than answers about the top of the Western Conference. The East seems to be the better conference this year.

But I think we should be looking at the Pelicans as a potential West juggernaut like the Celtics and the Bucks are in the East.

I know, I know. They haven’t really proven it to us yet. And they can’t, honestly. Not until the playoffs. They’re only 16-8 and somehow the No. 1 seed in the conference now. That record doesn’t exactly sound remarkable until you think about their circumstances.

Many teams have had some bad injury luck so far this season across the board. The Pelicans have not, generally speaking. Only 10 players have missed time so far and they’ve only missed 52 man games while injured, per Spotrac’s injury database. That’s near the bottom of the league.

However, when you look at the players who have been injured for them so far this season, the blows are significant. Their big 3 of CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have missed a whopping 19 of those 52 games and counting. New Orleans’ lineups are totally inconsistent with only one lineup so far playing in at least 10 games and having over 100 minutes played together.

That’s not normally the mark of a contender. Yet, somehow, the Pelicans have the 2nd best net rating in the NBA just behind the Celtics at +6.9. That’s good — really good. And with better health for their stars, it can get better.

The fact that they’ve been able to stay afloat despite the inconsistencies from their big 3 speaks to their depth and the rest of their cast. Jonas Valanciunas is an absolute rock who doesn’t miss games and consistently produces. Trey Murphy III has emerged as a legitimate 3-and-D wing and has also flashed All-Star potential this year. Jose Alvarado is one of the best backup point options in the NBA. Herb Jones is still elite defensively when he plays.

The Pelicans can legitimately go 10 deep when they want to and there aren’t too many teams across the league that can say that. The Celtics might actually be the only one.

It’s too early to say what the Pelicans’ ceiling actually looks like or whether they’re actually a Finals contender. But through this quarter of the season, there’s no question that they look like the real deal.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

 (Photo by SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)

In WNBA news, Brittney Griner is finally home after being wrongfully detained in Russia for essentially 10 months. Russia finally agreed to a proposed prisoner swap from the U.S. in which Griner came back for Viktor Bout, who is a war merchant.

Yesterday, I wrote about the cost of the swap and how dangerous it was for Bout to be free again. He’s a very dangerous man.

“Mr. Bout was accused of selling weapons to Al Qaeda, the Taliban and militants in Rwanda. According to several investigations and his U.S. indictment, he and his associates flouted arms embargoes in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Algeria, where he sold weapons to both the government forces and the rebels fighting them.”

But here’s the deal. An American woman who was wrongfully detained and imprisoned in a penal colony has been returned home. And, at the end of it all, that’s all that really matters.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports 

Pelicans (+1.5) vs. Suns (-1.5, -119), O/U 227.5, 8:30 PM ET

Speaking of the Pelicans and Suns, the two sides are actually matched up on Friday night. This is going to be for the top seed in the West and could be a potential tiebreaker game when the end of the season rolls around.

There’s a lot at stake here. Chris Paul is back for Phoenix, but both Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones are out in New Orleans. I think the Pelicans will ultimately be better, but tonight give me the Suns -1.5.

Shootaround

— Watch the precious moment Cherelle Griner found out Brittney was safe and sound

— Lonzo Ball is a funny dude. Who knew?

— Jordan Poole has no time for your bets.

— The best photos from the season so far

Enjoy the weekend, folks!

Pelicans season preview: The Zion Williamson show is back

The New Orleans Pelicans were looking like they were heading towards a nightmare season after striking out in 2021 free agency and then losing Zion Williamson for the season. While they got off to a slow start, they got a lot out of roster and …

The New Orleans Pelicans were looking like they were heading towards a nightmare season after striking out in 2021 free agency and then losing Zion Williamson for the season. While they got off to a slow start, they got a lot out of roster and rounded out their rotation at the trade deadline. They made a late push for the play-in tournament and gave Pelicans fans a lot to be excited about after stealing two wins from the Phoenix Suns. They will look to capitalize off their momentum with a deeper push up the Western Conference standings.

Below is a preview of the upcoming 2022-23 Pelicans season.

The Pelicans are going to be so fun to watch with Zion Williamson back

Williamson averaged 27 points on 61% shooting the last time he was healthy.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

What’s good y’all. It’s Prince here with another Layup Lines, and I want to talk about the Pelicans for a minute. The reason is because Zion Williamson showed up to media day on Monday, and he looked to be in outstanding shape. It got me thinking about the potential of the team in New Orleans this season.

Just think about it. The Pels closed last season as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Only five teams had a better net rating than them after the All-Star break. They acquired C.J. McCollum at the trade deadline to pair with Brandon Ingram, and the two combined to average more than 46 points per game together. All along, Herbert Jones was emerging as one of the best young players in the game, defending his way to a Second Team All-Rookie selection. And role players like Jose Alvarado gave the team an infusion of good energy.

This culminated in the Pelicans beating the Spurs and Clippers in the play-in tournament to sneak into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. Once there, they gave a scare to the top-seeded Phoenix Suns — who had been the best team in the NBA all season — taking two of the first four games before losing in six.

And now, they’re adding an explosive athlete like Williamson, who’s potentially as fit as he’s ever been? Yep, I’ll be watching as many of their games I can. Pelicans head coach Willie Green said Williamson “dominated” their scrimmage Tuesday night, and I believe him.

The last time we saw Williamson healthy, in 2020-21, he averaged 27 points on 61% shooting, seven rebounds and almost four assists through 61 games. That was before his new look! With him finally healthy again, the bar raises for what the Pelicans can accomplish. Their preseason win total over/under is 44.5. I think they’ll come close to hitting it, and it’ll be fun to watch them try.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

From one player whose injury woes are behind him to another whose knee injury continues to ail him. The Chicago Bulls announced earlier this week that Lonzo Ball would undergo an arthroscopic procedure on the same left knee that required surgery in January.

It’s a tough blow for Ball, obviously, as his career has been marred by injuries from the beginning. But also for the Bulls, who just weren’t the same team after he went down last season. He’ll be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks, which is sometime after the start of the regular season. But the latest on his knee is beyond concerning, as our guy Bryan Kalbrosky wrote:

“Ball said he experiences pain climbing stairs, range of motion is an issue, he can’t play basketball, and he can’t jump. He said this is something that he has never dealt with before, and even the doctors are concerned.

This is especially concerning because as part of his injury rehabilitation, he began ramping up to running back in March. He paused running altogether by the end of the month, however, and he began experiencing discomfort once again during the ramp-up process in April.

Ball said that he is worried he may have tried to rush himself back for the playoffs, and he doesn’t want that to happen again.”

Shootaround

— Jamal Crawford is a perfect replacement for Dwyane Wade on TNT’s NBA broadcasts

— The Celtics are still favored to win the title after Ime Udoka’s suspension, but should they be?

— Markeiff Morris hilariously compared the Nets’ offseason drama to his marriage.

— Here’s how you can watch top draft prospects Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson face off.

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