New Orleans Pelicans Injury Report (Nov. 18): Latest update on Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram availability

Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram led the New Orleans Pelicans to a pulsating 115-110 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Williamson and Ingram played well in helping the Pelicans build a 20-point lead against the Nuggets. They also came up big down the stretch to thwart the defending champ’s rally behind reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic. New Orleans will have a little less than 24 hours to buckle up and host the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Williamson and Ingram have not played back-to-back games this season. Ingram was out with an injury when the Pelicans faced the OKC Thunder and Detroit Pistons earlier this month. “Zanos,” meanwhile, was held out as New Orleans was set to play its third game in four nights.

The status of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram will remain uncertain. Before the win against the Denver Nuggets, the Pelicans had two days of rest. The second night of a back-to-back doesn’t feel as brutal considering the said off days. New Orleans, however, will not hesitate to keep their superstars on the sideline if the training staff decides to do so.

If the New Orleans Pelicans will have to be extremely careful, they could sideline the injury-prone Zion Williamson. The power forward was limited to just 29 games last season and only 124 games in five seasons. They might not be willing to take that risk, especially early in the season.

Brandon Ingram, meanwhile, has a little been more durable than Williamson. Extra precaution, however, remains on the table concerning “BI.” His number of games in four-plus seasons with the Pelicans has been decreasing. He played 62, 61, 55 and 45 games before this season.

The superstar forwards are healthy, though. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they lined up for the New Orleans Pelicans during tip-off.

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Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are starting to find their groove

When Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are healthy, most analysts are convinced that they are built to make a deep playoff run. They’ve shown before that they can compete in the postseason sans Williamson. If both are healthy, they should be a tough team to deal with in a seven-game series.

Over the last two games, Williamson and Ingram have seemingly found their groove. They beat Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday before surviving Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

In the win against the Mavericks, Brandon Ingram paced the team in scoring with 25 points to go with nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Zion Williamson contributed 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. When the two are available, Ingram remains the team’s go-to playmaker.

Versus the Denver Nuggets, it was Zion Williamson’s turn to lead the team in scoring with 26 points. He also added six assists, four rebounds and two blocks. Ingram was just as crucial in the New Orleans Pelicans’ win. He had 21 points, eight assists, three rebounds and one steal. The versatile forward was a walking mismatch that the Nuggets didn’t have an answer for most of the game.

Against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Pelicans fans will be hoping both will be available to lead the team.