2:50 p.m. ET
Andrew Lopez ESPN
NEW ORLEANS — Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is four games into the first playoff appearance of his six-year career — a fact his rookie teammate Jose Alvarado still can’t believe.
“It doesn’t seem like it,” Alvarado said when the topic was brought up after Sunday night’s fourth game. “He wants to win.”
It was another standout performance for Ingram, who finished with 30 points as the Pelicans defeated the top-seeded Phoenix Suns 118-103 to make their Western Conference first-round playoff series 2-2.
Ingram became the first player in Pelicans franchise history to score 30 points in three straight games, and he joined Allen Iverson and LeBron James as the only player with three 30-point games in their first four career playoff streaks. Playing since the NBA-ABA merger (1976-77).
Also, Ingram’s 119 points in his first four playoff games is the fifth-highest of any player since the merger, behind only James (137), Anthony Davis (126), Luka Doncic (126) and Ja Morant (124).
“Brandon is playing his best basketball of the season,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green. “He does it on the biggest stage. It’s great to see. He is capable. I’ve said it before: He’s the real deal. And he goes on stage and puts the work into practice and we see it on screen.”
As in Game 2, Ingram started the Pelicans’ other win of the series with 11 points in the first quarter. He fired again in Sunday’s third quarter, hitting 7 of 11 shots on his way to 16 points.
He missed in the fourth quarter, but the Pelicans didn’t need him. After Phoenix cut New Orleans’ lead 9-02 to 88-83, the Pelicans responded with a 12-0 run to take control.
“I think it’s our time,” Ingram said. “We work hard all year to become a better team. We’re finally getting a chance to be on a really, really big stage and keep playing well.
“My team-mates helped me a lot, just put me in the right places, passed the ball to me in the right areas. Just make me look good It was a team effort and I love playing with the guys.”
Ingram’s great third quarter was part of a trend for New Orleans. For the series, the Pelicans outscored the Suns 137-93 in the third quarter. New Orleans has scored at least 30 points each time, while the Suns scored 26 in Game 1 and held at 23, 22 and 22 in the three games that followed.
The teams will face off in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Phoenix.
According to research by Elias Sports Bureau, this is the 30th playoff series in which either team has at least 25 more wins than its opponent; the Suns went 64-18 while the Pelicans were 36-46 this season. The team with the most regular season wins won 28 of the previous 29 matchups. (The “We Believe” Golden State Warriors defeated the top-ranked Dallas Mavericks in 2007.)
And this is only the ninth best-of-seven series in NBA history between a No. 1 and a No. 8 with a 2-2 tie. The 8-seed has never won, having tied two games.
All three of the previous 8 seeds that defeated a 1 seed in best-of-seven series (Philadelphia 76ers in 2012, Memphis Grizzlies in 2011, and the Warriors in 2007) held a 3-1 lead in game 5
ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.