The New Orleans Pelicans will have to try and secure a playoff berth without their star Zion Williamson. The Pelicans announced on Wednesday that Williamson is dealing with a hamstring injury and will miss the Play-In game against the Sacramento Kings.

Williamson was hurt with less than four minutes remaining in the Play-In game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. At that point, Williamson scored 40 points and added 10 rebounds, helping the Pels tie the score.

However, after Williamson went down, the Pelicans didn’t have enough firepower to complete the comeback and suffered a 106-110 loss. They can still make it to the postseason as the eighth seed if they manage to get a win against the Kings on Friday.

Even if New Orleans clinches a playoff spot, they won’t have Williamson at their disposal, considering he is ruled out for at least two weeks.

Injuries have been a recurring story for Williamson since he entered the league as the No. 1 overall selection in 2019. He played only 114 games in his first four years, a stretch that saw him miss the 2021-22 season completely.

However, when available, Williamson has played at a star level. This season, he appeared in 70 games, his career high, while averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.

The post Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Diagnosed With Hamstring Injury, Will Miss Play-In Game vs. Kings appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans received some encouraging news on Friday. Their star forward Brandon Ingram’s knee injury isn’t as scary as initially believed, and he’ll be able to return before the end of the regular season.

Ingram hurt his knee in the third quarter of a 121-106 loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday. His left knee bent awkwardly after making contact with Magic’s Jalen Suggs, and he ended up falling to the floor in pain. After getting up, Ingram had to be helped to get off the floor.

An MRI test showed that there is no structural damage to Ingram’s knee and that he suffered a bone contusion. According to a statement issued by the Pelicans, he will be re-evaluated in two weeks. If Ingram is able to return at that point, he will have missed six games.

The Pelicans are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, winning eight out of their last 10 games, and Ingram played an important role in that. He has been the team’s second-best scorer, averaging 20.9 points per game while also adding 5.1 rebounds and a career-high 5.8 assists.

The Pelicans will now hope to continue the momentum without Ingram with their eyes set on the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They are currently sitting at No. 5 with 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers.

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The New Orleans Pelicans gave their All-Star forward Zion Williamson a five-year, $193 million max rookie extension in 2022 despite him only playing 85 games up to that point. However, it turns out that the franchise protected itself in case Williamson can’t stay healthy enough to justify his huge salary.

In a recent piece published on The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov shared previously unknown details about Williamson’s contract with the Pelicans and revealed that the 23-year-old player lost the guarantees for the final three years of the deal.

As it turns out, the extension stipulated that Williamson can’t miss more than 22 games in the 2022-23 season in order to keep the guarantees. He ended up playing only 29 games due to a hamstring injury, falling way short of the mark.

This means that the Pelicans would be able to move on from Williamson after the 2024-25 season without any consequences. The chances of that seem to be slim, considering that Williamson is a generational talent, but it does protect the team from the worst-case scenario.

Vorkunov adds that there are ways for Williamson to get back some of the lost guarantees by playing enough games and keeping his weight under control.

Williamson played 23 games in 2023-24 and is averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.6 steals per game.   

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The New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. is expected to be sidelined for between four and six weeks due to reaggravating a right rib fracture. The forward initially injured his ankle during the preseason, resulting in his missing four games. He missed the Pelicans’ 124-114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers due to illness.

During his 14 appearances this season, Nance has averaged 3.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 15.1 minutes. While his impact on the court has been limited, he has nevertheless been viewed as a vital member of the Pelicans’ locker room.

The Pelicans have endured major injury struggles this season, with their players missing a combined 64 games this season. Fortunately, New Orleans has received some positive injury news, with veteran guard CJ McCollum returning against the Sixers after a 12-game absence due to suffering a punctured lung.

The post Pelicans’ Larry Nance Out for Up to 6 Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has a small pneumothorax in his right lung, the team announced. His lung issue was confirmed through imaging performed on Sunday.

The Pelicans revealed that McCollum will undergo an additional examination within the next 48 hours in order to determine the course of action to take, after which another update will be provided.

McCollum previously dealt with the same issue in 2021 while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. He missed 18 games that season and was traded to the Pelicans three weeks after his return. The guard is currently averaging 21.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals in six games.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 123-118 on Wednesday night, thereby bringing an end to the Pelicans’ season and winning them the opportunity to play for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points on the night, including 25 in the second half of the game to help Oklahoma City complete their comeback after what was one of the worst first halves of any game statistically this season. Guard Josh Giddey finished just behind Gilgeous-Alexander on 31 points, adding 10 rebounds and nine assists as well.

“When your leader is not flustered and under control out there, it’s a spiral effect,” Giddey reflected after the game. “Guys see that and feed off it.”

Although the Pelicans were successful in their plan to minimize Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring opportunities, only allowing him to score seven points in the first half, Giddey explained that the Thunder was prepared for this outcome, working it into their own game plan. Instead of attempting to force his way into the game, Gilgeous-Alexander enabled his teammates to create other opportunities, finding his way into the game naturally once the opportunity arose.

Oklahoma City is set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

The post Thunder Ends Pelicans’ Season, Set to Play Timberwolves for Eight-Seed Playoff Spot appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans must continue their playoffs push without All-Star forward Zion Williamson. The team issued an update on Williamson on Wednesday, revealing that the player will miss at least two more weeks while rehabbing from a hamstring injury.

According to the Pelicans, Williamson’s medical imaging during a recent re-evaluation showed that the hamstring “continues to heal.” The team plans to examine the 22-year-old player again in two weeks.

Williamson injured his hamstring in early January, and the team was initially optimistic that he wouldn’t be out for long. However, a setback in February pushed back his return to court. Williamson played only 29 games in 2022-23, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.

While it’s unclear whether Williamson will be able to return before the regular season ends, New Orleans’ head coach Willie Green said on Wednesday that he is hoping for the best.

“We’re definitely optimistic about that,” said Green.

The Pelicans have lost seven of their last 10 games, causing them to slide to No. 10 in Western Conference and be in danger of dropping out of the Play-In tournament spot. However, the good news for New Orleans is that the playoff race in the West remains crowded, with only three games separating the Utah Jazz at No. 13 and the Dallas Mavericks at No. 5.

The post Pelicans Say All-Star Zion Williamson Will Be Out for at Least 2 More Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson left his team’s 120-111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers early on Monday night after picking up a hamstring strain in the third quarter.

Following a defensive rebound off a shot from Joel Embiid, Williamson dribbled the ball upcourt and palmed it off to teammate Dyson Daniels when he began clutching at his right leg.

“It was right at a pivotal moment in the game,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Williamson’s injury. “We’ll get some imaging and look at him and hopefully he’s OK. It was a tough loss for us.” Williamson scored 26 points, seven assists, and six rebounds on 10-of-12 shooting when he picked up his hamstring injury.

So far, Williamson has featured in 29 of the Pelicans’ 37 games this season. He missed three games because of a right foot contusion, another three games because of health and safety protocols, and two games because of a lower back/right hip contusion.

The Pelicans are currently third in the Western Conference standings.

The post Zion Williamson Exits Pelicans’ Loss With Hamstring Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

On Tuesday, the New Orleans Pelicans announced that their rookie power forward E.J. Liddell underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL. Liddell will be out indefinitely as he recovers from the procedure.

Liddell, who was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, suffered the injury during this year’s NBA Summer League. The Ohio State Buckeyes product averaged four points and four rebounds in the two games he played during the tournament.

Liddell will now most likely be out for the entire 2022-23 campaign. It shouldn’t be a big loss for the Pelicans in the short term, considering that they already have their 15-player roster filled out, and the 21-year-old player was projected as a two-way player. However, they will now have to wait a year longer to see what they have in Liddell and whether he can be part of the franchise’s long-term future.

E.J. Liddell spent three years at Ohio State, averaging 14.1 points and 6.1 boards over the course of his college career. His best performances came in 2021–22, during which he put up 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.6 blocks per contest. This earned him First-team All-Big Ten and Third-team All-American honors.

Despite his strong junior year, Liddell slipped to the second round as the scouts had concerns about his streaky shooting and lack of ball handling abilities. He is also reluctant to take three-pointers, having a .341 career average.

The post Pelicans’ Rookie E.J. Liddell Undergoes ACL Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Zion Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million designated maximum rookie extension with the New Orleans Pelicans, CAA Sports co-head of basketball Austin Brown reported. This deal could earn Williamson as much as $231 million. The earning potential of the Pelicans’ star will be determined by whether or not he wins the MVP or Defensive Player of the Year awards next season, as well as his inclusion in the All-NBA team.

The overall number one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson averaged 22.5 points per game and shot 58.3% overall in his rookie season. These impressive stats saw him named only the second rookie in NBA history to average more than 20 points a game while shooting at least 55% in his inaugural season. Widely viewed as a generational talent, Williamson was ruled out of action for the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to a broken right foot.

In May, Williamson was cleared for action by the Pelicans and has since been joining the rest of the team for training without restrictions. Joined by CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, the youngster looks poised to help the Pelicans challenge for the Western Conference this season. The Pelicans ended last season in 11th position, narrowly missing out on a play-in berth.

The post Zion Wiliamson Agrees To Maximum Rookie Extension With Pelicans appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans will have to try and secure a playoff berth without their star Zion Williamson. The Pelicans announced on Wednesday that Williamson is dealing with a hamstring injury and will miss the Play-In game against the Sacramento Kings.

Williamson was hurt with less than four minutes remaining in the Play-In game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. At that point, Williamson scored 40 points and added 10 rebounds, helping the Pels tie the score.

However, after Williamson went down, the Pelicans didn’t have enough firepower to complete the comeback and suffered a 106-110 loss. They can still make it to the postseason as the eighth seed if they manage to get a win against the Kings on Friday.

Even if New Orleans clinches a playoff spot, they won’t have Williamson at their disposal, considering he is ruled out for at least two weeks.

Injuries have been a recurring story for Williamson since he entered the league as the No. 1 overall selection in 2019. He played only 114 games in his first four years, a stretch that saw him miss the 2021-22 season completely.

However, when available, Williamson has played at a star level. This season, he appeared in 70 games, his career high, while averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.

The post Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Diagnosed With Hamstring Injury, Will Miss Play-In Game vs. Kings appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans received some encouraging news on Friday. Their star forward Brandon Ingram’s knee injury isn’t as scary as initially believed, and he’ll be able to return before the end of the regular season.

Ingram hurt his knee in the third quarter of a 121-106 loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday. His left knee bent awkwardly after making contact with Magic’s Jalen Suggs, and he ended up falling to the floor in pain. After getting up, Ingram had to be helped to get off the floor.

An MRI test showed that there is no structural damage to Ingram’s knee and that he suffered a bone contusion. According to a statement issued by the Pelicans, he will be re-evaluated in two weeks. If Ingram is able to return at that point, he will have missed six games.

The Pelicans are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, winning eight out of their last 10 games, and Ingram played an important role in that. He has been the team’s second-best scorer, averaging 20.9 points per game while also adding 5.1 rebounds and a career-high 5.8 assists.

The Pelicans will now hope to continue the momentum without Ingram with their eyes set on the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They are currently sitting at No. 5 with 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers.

The post Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram to Miss 2 Weeks With a Knee Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans gave their All-Star forward Zion Williamson a five-year, $193 million max rookie extension in 2022 despite him only playing 85 games up to that point. However, it turns out that the franchise protected itself in case Williamson can’t stay healthy enough to justify his huge salary.

In a recent piece published on The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov shared previously unknown details about Williamson’s contract with the Pelicans and revealed that the 23-year-old player lost the guarantees for the final three years of the deal.

As it turns out, the extension stipulated that Williamson can’t miss more than 22 games in the 2022-23 season in order to keep the guarantees. He ended up playing only 29 games due to a hamstring injury, falling way short of the mark.

This means that the Pelicans would be able to move on from Williamson after the 2024-25 season without any consequences. The chances of that seem to be slim, considering that Williamson is a generational talent, but it does protect the team from the worst-case scenario.

Vorkunov adds that there are ways for Williamson to get back some of the lost guarantees by playing enough games and keeping his weight under control.

Williamson played 23 games in 2023-24 and is averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.6 steals per game.   

The post Zion Williamson Loses Guarantees for Final 3 Years of His Contract With the Pelicans appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. is expected to be sidelined for between four and six weeks due to reaggravating a right rib fracture. The forward initially injured his ankle during the preseason, resulting in his missing four games. He missed the Pelicans’ 124-114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers due to illness.

During his 14 appearances this season, Nance has averaged 3.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 15.1 minutes. While his impact on the court has been limited, he has nevertheless been viewed as a vital member of the Pelicans’ locker room.

The Pelicans have endured major injury struggles this season, with their players missing a combined 64 games this season. Fortunately, New Orleans has received some positive injury news, with veteran guard CJ McCollum returning against the Sixers after a 12-game absence due to suffering a punctured lung.

The post Pelicans’ Larry Nance Out for Up to 6 Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has a small pneumothorax in his right lung, the team announced. His lung issue was confirmed through imaging performed on Sunday.

The Pelicans revealed that McCollum will undergo an additional examination within the next 48 hours in order to determine the course of action to take, after which another update will be provided.

McCollum previously dealt with the same issue in 2021 while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. He missed 18 games that season and was traded to the Pelicans three weeks after his return. The guard is currently averaging 21.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals in six games.

The post Pelicans’ CJ McCollum Suffers Collapsed Lung appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 123-118 on Wednesday night, thereby bringing an end to the Pelicans’ season and winning them the opportunity to play for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points on the night, including 25 in the second half of the game to help Oklahoma City complete their comeback after what was one of the worst first halves of any game statistically this season. Guard Josh Giddey finished just behind Gilgeous-Alexander on 31 points, adding 10 rebounds and nine assists as well.

“When your leader is not flustered and under control out there, it’s a spiral effect,” Giddey reflected after the game. “Guys see that and feed off it.”

Although the Pelicans were successful in their plan to minimize Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring opportunities, only allowing him to score seven points in the first half, Giddey explained that the Thunder was prepared for this outcome, working it into their own game plan. Instead of attempting to force his way into the game, Gilgeous-Alexander enabled his teammates to create other opportunities, finding his way into the game naturally once the opportunity arose.

Oklahoma City is set to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.

The post Thunder Ends Pelicans’ Season, Set to Play Timberwolves for Eight-Seed Playoff Spot appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans must continue their playoffs push without All-Star forward Zion Williamson. The team issued an update on Williamson on Wednesday, revealing that the player will miss at least two more weeks while rehabbing from a hamstring injury.

According to the Pelicans, Williamson’s medical imaging during a recent re-evaluation showed that the hamstring “continues to heal.” The team plans to examine the 22-year-old player again in two weeks.

Williamson injured his hamstring in early January, and the team was initially optimistic that he wouldn’t be out for long. However, a setback in February pushed back his return to court. Williamson played only 29 games in 2022-23, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.

While it’s unclear whether Williamson will be able to return before the regular season ends, New Orleans’ head coach Willie Green said on Wednesday that he is hoping for the best.

“We’re definitely optimistic about that,” said Green.

The Pelicans have lost seven of their last 10 games, causing them to slide to No. 10 in Western Conference and be in danger of dropping out of the Play-In tournament spot. However, the good news for New Orleans is that the playoff race in the West remains crowded, with only three games separating the Utah Jazz at No. 13 and the Dallas Mavericks at No. 5.

The post Pelicans Say All-Star Zion Williamson Will Be Out for at Least 2 More Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson left his team’s 120-111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers early on Monday night after picking up a hamstring strain in the third quarter.

Following a defensive rebound off a shot from Joel Embiid, Williamson dribbled the ball upcourt and palmed it off to teammate Dyson Daniels when he began clutching at his right leg.

“It was right at a pivotal moment in the game,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Williamson’s injury. “We’ll get some imaging and look at him and hopefully he’s OK. It was a tough loss for us.” Williamson scored 26 points, seven assists, and six rebounds on 10-of-12 shooting when he picked up his hamstring injury.

So far, Williamson has featured in 29 of the Pelicans’ 37 games this season. He missed three games because of a right foot contusion, another three games because of health and safety protocols, and two games because of a lower back/right hip contusion.

The Pelicans are currently third in the Western Conference standings.

The post Zion Williamson Exits Pelicans’ Loss With Hamstring Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

On Tuesday, the New Orleans Pelicans announced that their rookie power forward E.J. Liddell underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL. Liddell will be out indefinitely as he recovers from the procedure.

Liddell, who was drafted in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, suffered the injury during this year’s NBA Summer League. The Ohio State Buckeyes product averaged four points and four rebounds in the two games he played during the tournament.

Liddell will now most likely be out for the entire 2022-23 campaign. It shouldn’t be a big loss for the Pelicans in the short term, considering that they already have their 15-player roster filled out, and the 21-year-old player was projected as a two-way player. However, they will now have to wait a year longer to see what they have in Liddell and whether he can be part of the franchise’s long-term future.

E.J. Liddell spent three years at Ohio State, averaging 14.1 points and 6.1 boards over the course of his college career. His best performances came in 2021–22, during which he put up 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.6 blocks per contest. This earned him First-team All-Big Ten and Third-team All-American honors.

Despite his strong junior year, Liddell slipped to the second round as the scouts had concerns about his streaky shooting and lack of ball handling abilities. He is also reluctant to take three-pointers, having a .341 career average.

The post Pelicans’ Rookie E.J. Liddell Undergoes ACL Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Zion Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million designated maximum rookie extension with the New Orleans Pelicans, CAA Sports co-head of basketball Austin Brown reported. This deal could earn Williamson as much as $231 million. The earning potential of the Pelicans’ star will be determined by whether or not he wins the MVP or Defensive Player of the Year awards next season, as well as his inclusion in the All-NBA team.

The overall number one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson averaged 22.5 points per game and shot 58.3% overall in his rookie season. These impressive stats saw him named only the second rookie in NBA history to average more than 20 points a game while shooting at least 55% in his inaugural season. Widely viewed as a generational talent, Williamson was ruled out of action for the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to a broken right foot.

In May, Williamson was cleared for action by the Pelicans and has since been joining the rest of the team for training without restrictions. Joined by CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, the youngster looks poised to help the Pelicans challenge for the Western Conference this season. The Pelicans ended last season in 11th position, narrowly missing out on a play-in berth.

The post Zion Wiliamson Agrees To Maximum Rookie Extension With Pelicans appeared first on SportzBonanza.