New Orleans’ four-game winning streak gets snapped after a 106-95 loss to the Miami Heat. The Pelicans again played without star forward Brandon Ingram for the second straight game. His absence was clear, as the Pels fizzled offensively late in the ballgame.

Without Ingram in the starting lineup again, the Pelicans struggled to get it going offensively early on. New Orleans shot 1/10 from beyond the arc in the opening quarter. Miami’s turnovers allowed the Pels to stay close when New Orleans’ shots were not falling. The Heat committed seven first-quarter turnovers, leading to eight points for the Pelicans. Heat guard Tyler Herro, who was questionable to play, shot 4/4 from the field and led all scorers with nine points.

Miami took a 31-24 advantage into the second quarter and quickly extended it to double-digits with a 12-0 run to open the half. Things seemed like they would get out of hand before a monster run by the Pelicans to end the half completely flipped the game around. New Orleans bench scored 17 points in the first half, leading a 21-3 run that tied the game at halftime. Defensively, the Pelicans held the Heat to just one basket in the final five minutes of the half, tying the game at 58 at the half.

CJ McCollum did not return in the second half after injuring his ankle in the first half. With another offensive weapon out, New Orleans struggled to score in the quarter, but their defense kept them in the game. The Pelicans scored just 22 points, but the Heat scored 24 and led by four heading into the final period. The intensity was rising in the game as a preview of things to come in the fourth.

Emotions rose to a fever pace early in the fourth after a hard foul on Zion Williamson by Heat forward Kevin Love. Pels forward Naji Marshall went over to protest the foul, but got into a shoving match with Heat star Jimmy Butler. After it seemed things settled down, Jose Alvarado and Heat center Thomas Bryant got into an altercation on the sideline. The referees went into a long review to sort things out, and in all four players were ejected.

The lack of production down McCollum, Ingram, Alvarado, and Marshall doomed the Pelicans in the fourth quarter. They scored just 15 points in the quarter, allowing Miami to pull away late in the game. Williamson tried his best to keep pace, scoring 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds. In the end, New Orleans didn’t have enough firepower to keep pace with Miami. Bam Adebayo led all scorers with 24 points.

New Orleans remains at home this weekend, taking on the Chicago Bulls in the final game of this current homestand. They travel out East afterward to face the Knicks and Pacers before returning home again next Friday.