NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram was a late scratch from Monday's 122-116 loss to the Houston Rockets because of right knee soreness.
Ingram started his pregame warm-ups with nothing on his right leg but left the floor earlier than usual to head back to the training room. When he returned, he had a brace on his right knee as trainers watched him get up extra shots.
He went through part of his pregame routine but returned to the locker room. Shortly after, the Pelicans announced that he was out for the game.
Josh Hart, who scored 19, took Ingram's place in the starting lineup.
Ingram underwent an MRI that came back clean and he is day-to-day, the team announced Tuesday.
Ingram leads the Pelicans in points per game (25.9) and rebounds per game (7.3) and is the team's leading 3-point shooter at 46.9%. When the Rockets and Pelicans met on Oct. 26 in Houston, Ingram had 35 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
Ingram did miss one half of a game this season when he left the Oklahoma City contest on Nov. 2 after suffering a blow to the head. He did not have a concussion and played two days later in Brooklyn without any trouble.
In other developments, Lonzo Ball could make his return to the court Thursday vs. the Clippers, but it's more likely that he'll return Saturday at Miami.