Settled into a third quarter in which he didn’t miss a single shot, and his offensive superpowers appearing to finally be rounding back into All-Star form, Brandon Ingram held the answers to the test of dealing with both the top-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder defense and the quickly-dwindling shot clock. The literal definition of a “tough shot maker,” Ingram puts his gifts to use on the final play of the period, using a quick in-and-out crossover to reject a pick-and-roll on his path towards the top of the key. Left with few options with Luguentz Dort attached to him like glue and the clock draining to its final two seconds, Ingram re-balances himself before elevating through the air for a highly-contested 27-footer, beating the buzzer in style. Gritting his teeth through both a knee injury and the Thunder’s unyielding defense, the gifted New Orleans Pelicans star battled valiantly in the Game Three loss. Supplying his shorthanded group with buckets from all three levels, Ingram tallied up 19 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and a pair of 3-pointers on April 27, 2024. · Apr 27, 2024