In the Eastern Conference part of the bracket, the Pacers beat the favored Boston Celtics to set up a clash against the Bucks, who easily handled the New York Knicks in the quarterfinals.

The Western Conference semifinals game will see the Pelicans face the Lakers. The Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings, while the Lakers overcame the Phoenix Suns in a thrilling contest.

The semifinal matches will be played at Las Vegas ‘Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on December 7. The Pacers and the Bucks play their game at 5:00 PM ET, and the Pelicans meet the Lakers at 9:00 PM ET. The championship game will also take place two days later, also in Las Vegas.

The winner of the NBA In-Season Tournament will get to lift the NBA Cup trophy. Also, every player on the team’s roster will receive a $500,000 check.

Out of the four teams in the semifinals, the Bucks own the best record at 15-6 and have won eight of their last 10 games. The Lakers are 13-9, enough for the fourth spot on the Western Conference standings. The Pacers are 11-8, while the Pelicans own a 12-10 record.

The post NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinals to Feature Pacers vs. Bucs, Pelicans vs. Lakers appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The return to on-court activities doesn’t mean that Williamson, who has been out with a hamstring injury, will suit up for the Pelicans right away. He is expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks, after which the Pelicans will determine if he is ready to give him game action.

Williamson has played only 29 games this season but was the team’s best player when on the court. He averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.

It isn’t guaranteed that we’ll get to see Zion Williamson on the court again in 2022-23. The regular season will end in less than three weeks, and it will make sense for the Pelicans to play Williamson only if they have something to play for.

New Orleans is currently sitting at No. 12 in the Western Conference standings with a 35-37 record. They are currently out of the Play-In spot but trail the No. 10 Los Angeles Lakers by just half a game and the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors by two games.

The post Pelicans Say All-Star Zion Williamson Can Resume “On-Court Activities” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Williamson’s absence from the game will be a major concern for the Pelicans given his impact on the team’s success this season. The 22-year-old player has averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game this season while sitting on 60.3% shooting from the field.

Appearing in 25 of the Pelicans’ 30 games so far this season, Williamson missed two games in late October after suffering a lower back/right hip contusion. He missed three games in November due to a right foot contusion.

Brandon Ingram will also be absent from Thursday’s game as he continues to recover from a left big toe contusion that he picked up on November 25.

Despite Ingram’s setback, Williamson more than covered for him during his absence, increasing his averages to 28.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.5 steals during Ingram’s 11-game absence.

The post Zion Williamson to Miss Next Pelicans Game After Entering Protocols appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Brandon Ingram appeared to suffer a head injury in the first quarter of the game after displaying what seemed to be symptoms of concussion. The player clashed heads with teammate Naji Marshall as both players scrambled to intercept a pass.

After undergoing evaluation, Ingram insisted to the Pelicans’ medical team that he was okay to return to the game. While he made his return six minutes into the second quarter, he signaled to the bench to check out a minute later.

Zion Williamson crashed onto the floor during the fourth quarter, landing on his backside when his shot was blocked by Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson. While he attempted to remain in the game, the Pelicans decided to take him off the court six seconds later, leaving him on the bench for the remainder of the game. According to the team, Williamson had suffered a posterior hip contusion.

The Pelicans are next scheduled to face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday before heading to the West Coast to face the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.

The post Injury Crisis Hits Pelicans During Loss to Utah Jazz appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Williamson explained that he exited the Heat game as a measure of precaution. The ankle injury is just slight soreness, and he expects to be back in action real soon.

“It was one of those things where it happened, and I popped back up, like, ‘Yeah, I’m straight,’” Williamson said. “Played a few minutes after that, it felt fine. Then they sent me to the back just to double check.”

Pelicans’ head coach Willie Green also confirmed that Williamson isn’t dealing with anything serious and is considered day-to-day.

Injuries have been a major issue for Zion Williamson since he entered the league as the first overall pick in 2019. Williamson missed much of his rookie year dealing with a torn meniscus and managed only to play 24 games. After an All-Star outing in 2020-21, the Duke product got hurt again and was forced to undergo surgery due to a foot fracture. This caused him to miss the entire last season.

In his three years as a pro, Williamson managed to play only 85 games but was as good as advertised when on the court. His NBA averages include 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

The post Pelicans’ All-Star Zion Williamson Says His Recent Ankle Injury is Nothing Serious appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Nance inked a two-year extension worth $21.6 million. The 29-year-old player is now under contract for three more seasons. He was entering the final year of the four-year, $48 million contract he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2018.

Larry Nance Jr. arrived in New Orleans midway through 2021-22 as part of the trade that also landed McCollum with the Pelicans. He managed to play only nine games in the regular season due to a knee injury but ended up being a key player for the team during the play-in tournament. This included a 14 points and 16 rebounds performance against the Los Angeles Clippers that secured the Pelicans a playoff sport as the eighth seed in Western Conference. 

Nance Jr. entered the NBA as a late first-round selection by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2015 NBA Draft. He later also played with the Cavs and the Portland Trail Blazers. Nance averaged 8.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game throughout his seven seasons in the league.

The post Larry Nance Jr. and Pelicans Agree to a 2-Year, $21.6 Million Extension appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Pelicans haven’t made an official announcement, but McCollum’s agent Sam Goldfeder confirmed the news to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski this past weekend. According to Goldfeder, his client received a two-year, $64 million extension.

With this extension, McCollum is now under contract with the Pelicans through the 2025-26 NBA season. New Orleans young stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are also on long-term deals with the same duration.

McCollum himself also confirmed having a new deal by retweeting several posts on social media.

The New Orleans Pelicans acquired CJ McCollum in early February, sending talented duo Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, among other players, alongside 2022 protected first-round pick and two second-rounders to the Portland Trail Blazers. McCollum made an immediate impact in New Orleans, playing 26 games and averaging career-high 24.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists.

Thanks to McCollum, the Pelicans managed to sneak into the play-in tournament, where they beat the San Antonio Spurs to make the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The 31-year-old averaged 22.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in the postseason, but New Orleans fell to the Phoenix Suns in six games in the first round.

The post Pelicans Ink CJ McCollum to 2-Year, $64 Million Extension appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“I do want to be here. That’s no secret. I feel like I’ve stood on that when I spoke,” said Williamson when asked if his appearance indicates his commitment to the city and Pelicans organization. “Currently, this does not really have anything to do with that. This is just me wanting to be a pillar in my community.”

Williamson had to undergo surgery to repair a broken foot ahead of the 2021-22 season and has missed the entire campaign as a result. During his absence, reports surfaced about his dissatisfaction with the organization as well as his disconnect from his teammates. The chatter was further fueled by the player’s decision to rehab away from New Orleans. However, these rumors were later denied by Williamson and the Pelicans.

The state of the relationship between the two sides will likely become clear later in the summer. This is when Williamson will become eligible to ink a five-year, $186 million max rookie extension with the Pelicans. The organization, on its part, indicated that this is the offer they are willing to make.

“This is a max player,” David Griffin, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, recently said during an appearance on The Ryen Russillo podcast. “I think it is a pretty easy decision.”

The post Zion Williamson on His Future with Pels: “I Do Want To Be Here” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Securing Valanciunas’ services for the next two seasons was a priority for the Pelicans, with the Lithuanian averaging 17.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 62 games for the Memphis Grizzlies last season. This is a vast improvement on Valanciunas’ overall career averages of 12.9 points per game, 9.2 rebounds, and one assist during his 10 seasons split between the Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors.

Before signing his contract extension, Valanciunas was set to become an unrestricted free agent next season. His inclusion in New Orleans’ squad this season will provide a massive boost to the New Orleans’ offense, with All-Star Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson playing alongside him.

The 28-year-old center was traded to the Pelicans in August in exchange for veteran Steven Adams and others; a move that helped free up New Orleans’ salary cup so that they could secure the signature of Devonte Graham from the Charlotte Hornets.

The post Pelicans and Jonas Valanciunas Agree to Contract Extension appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to Griffin, Williamson broke his foot during summer practices in August and had a procedure to repair the damage shortly after.

“He had a fractured right foot that was repaired surgically,” Griffin said. “His timeline should get him back on the court in the time of the regular season. That would be our hope and our view. And we’re very optimistic about what that looks like.”

Griffin added that the Pelicans’ brass met with Williamson and his family in order to lay out a plan for his return to the court.

Zion Williamson, who was the first-overall pick in 2019, has already dealt with several injuries in his young NBA career. During his rookie season, Williamson only managed to play 25 games after spending the better part of 2019-20 sidelined with a knee injury.

In his sophomore year, Williamson played 61 games but had to wrap up his 2020-21 season earlier than expected due to a thumb injury. The Duke product has been averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game since entering the league.

The post Pelicans Reveal Zion Williamson Had Foot Surgery in Offseason appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

In the Eastern Conference part of the bracket, the Pacers beat the favored Boston Celtics to set up a clash against the Bucks, who easily handled the New York Knicks in the quarterfinals.

The Western Conference semifinals game will see the Pelicans face the Lakers. The Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings, while the Lakers overcame the Phoenix Suns in a thrilling contest.

The semifinal matches will be played at Las Vegas ‘Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on December 7. The Pacers and the Bucks play their game at 5:00 PM ET, and the Pelicans meet the Lakers at 9:00 PM ET. The championship game will also take place two days later, also in Las Vegas.

The winner of the NBA In-Season Tournament will get to lift the NBA Cup trophy. Also, every player on the team’s roster will receive a $500,000 check.

Out of the four teams in the semifinals, the Bucks own the best record at 15-6 and have won eight of their last 10 games. The Lakers are 13-9, enough for the fourth spot on the Western Conference standings. The Pacers are 11-8, while the Pelicans own a 12-10 record.

The post NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinals to Feature Pacers vs. Bucs, Pelicans vs. Lakers appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The return to on-court activities doesn’t mean that Williamson, who has been out with a hamstring injury, will suit up for the Pelicans right away. He is expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks, after which the Pelicans will determine if he is ready to give him game action.

Williamson has played only 29 games this season but was the team’s best player when on the court. He averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.

It isn’t guaranteed that we’ll get to see Zion Williamson on the court again in 2022-23. The regular season will end in less than three weeks, and it will make sense for the Pelicans to play Williamson only if they have something to play for.

New Orleans is currently sitting at No. 12 in the Western Conference standings with a 35-37 record. They are currently out of the Play-In spot but trail the No. 10 Los Angeles Lakers by just half a game and the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors by two games.

The post Pelicans Say All-Star Zion Williamson Can Resume “On-Court Activities” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Williamson’s absence from the game will be a major concern for the Pelicans given his impact on the team’s success this season. The 22-year-old player has averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game this season while sitting on 60.3% shooting from the field.

Appearing in 25 of the Pelicans’ 30 games so far this season, Williamson missed two games in late October after suffering a lower back/right hip contusion. He missed three games in November due to a right foot contusion.

Brandon Ingram will also be absent from Thursday’s game as he continues to recover from a left big toe contusion that he picked up on November 25.

Despite Ingram’s setback, Williamson more than covered for him during his absence, increasing his averages to 28.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.5 steals during Ingram’s 11-game absence.

The post Zion Williamson to Miss Next Pelicans Game After Entering Protocols appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Brandon Ingram appeared to suffer a head injury in the first quarter of the game after displaying what seemed to be symptoms of concussion. The player clashed heads with teammate Naji Marshall as both players scrambled to intercept a pass.

After undergoing evaluation, Ingram insisted to the Pelicans’ medical team that he was okay to return to the game. While he made his return six minutes into the second quarter, he signaled to the bench to check out a minute later.

Zion Williamson crashed onto the floor during the fourth quarter, landing on his backside when his shot was blocked by Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson. While he attempted to remain in the game, the Pelicans decided to take him off the court six seconds later, leaving him on the bench for the remainder of the game. According to the team, Williamson had suffered a posterior hip contusion.

The Pelicans are next scheduled to face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday before heading to the West Coast to face the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.

The post Injury Crisis Hits Pelicans During Loss to Utah Jazz appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Williamson explained that he exited the Heat game as a measure of precaution. The ankle injury is just slight soreness, and he expects to be back in action real soon.

“It was one of those things where it happened, and I popped back up, like, ‘Yeah, I’m straight,’” Williamson said. “Played a few minutes after that, it felt fine. Then they sent me to the back just to double check.”

Pelicans’ head coach Willie Green also confirmed that Williamson isn’t dealing with anything serious and is considered day-to-day.

Injuries have been a major issue for Zion Williamson since he entered the league as the first overall pick in 2019. Williamson missed much of his rookie year dealing with a torn meniscus and managed only to play 24 games. After an All-Star outing in 2020-21, the Duke product got hurt again and was forced to undergo surgery due to a foot fracture. This caused him to miss the entire last season.

In his three years as a pro, Williamson managed to play only 85 games but was as good as advertised when on the court. His NBA averages include 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

The post Pelicans’ All-Star Zion Williamson Says His Recent Ankle Injury is Nothing Serious appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Nance inked a two-year extension worth $21.6 million. The 29-year-old player is now under contract for three more seasons. He was entering the final year of the four-year, $48 million contract he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2018.

Larry Nance Jr. arrived in New Orleans midway through 2021-22 as part of the trade that also landed McCollum with the Pelicans. He managed to play only nine games in the regular season due to a knee injury but ended up being a key player for the team during the play-in tournament. This included a 14 points and 16 rebounds performance against the Los Angeles Clippers that secured the Pelicans a playoff sport as the eighth seed in Western Conference. 

Nance Jr. entered the NBA as a late first-round selection by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2015 NBA Draft. He later also played with the Cavs and the Portland Trail Blazers. Nance averaged 8.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game throughout his seven seasons in the league.

The post Larry Nance Jr. and Pelicans Agree to a 2-Year, $21.6 Million Extension appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Pelicans haven’t made an official announcement, but McCollum’s agent Sam Goldfeder confirmed the news to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski this past weekend. According to Goldfeder, his client received a two-year, $64 million extension.

With this extension, McCollum is now under contract with the Pelicans through the 2025-26 NBA season. New Orleans young stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are also on long-term deals with the same duration.

McCollum himself also confirmed having a new deal by retweeting several posts on social media.

The New Orleans Pelicans acquired CJ McCollum in early February, sending talented duo Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, among other players, alongside 2022 protected first-round pick and two second-rounders to the Portland Trail Blazers. McCollum made an immediate impact in New Orleans, playing 26 games and averaging career-high 24.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists.

Thanks to McCollum, the Pelicans managed to sneak into the play-in tournament, where they beat the San Antonio Spurs to make the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. The 31-year-old averaged 22.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in the postseason, but New Orleans fell to the Phoenix Suns in six games in the first round.

The post Pelicans Ink CJ McCollum to 2-Year, $64 Million Extension appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“I do want to be here. That’s no secret. I feel like I’ve stood on that when I spoke,” said Williamson when asked if his appearance indicates his commitment to the city and Pelicans organization. “Currently, this does not really have anything to do with that. This is just me wanting to be a pillar in my community.”

Williamson had to undergo surgery to repair a broken foot ahead of the 2021-22 season and has missed the entire campaign as a result. During his absence, reports surfaced about his dissatisfaction with the organization as well as his disconnect from his teammates. The chatter was further fueled by the player’s decision to rehab away from New Orleans. However, these rumors were later denied by Williamson and the Pelicans.

The state of the relationship between the two sides will likely become clear later in the summer. This is when Williamson will become eligible to ink a five-year, $186 million max rookie extension with the Pelicans. The organization, on its part, indicated that this is the offer they are willing to make.

“This is a max player,” David Griffin, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, recently said during an appearance on The Ryen Russillo podcast. “I think it is a pretty easy decision.”

The post Zion Williamson on His Future with Pels: “I Do Want To Be Here” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Securing Valanciunas’ services for the next two seasons was a priority for the Pelicans, with the Lithuanian averaging 17.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 62 games for the Memphis Grizzlies last season. This is a vast improvement on Valanciunas’ overall career averages of 12.9 points per game, 9.2 rebounds, and one assist during his 10 seasons split between the Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors.

Before signing his contract extension, Valanciunas was set to become an unrestricted free agent next season. His inclusion in New Orleans’ squad this season will provide a massive boost to the New Orleans’ offense, with All-Star Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson playing alongside him.

The 28-year-old center was traded to the Pelicans in August in exchange for veteran Steven Adams and others; a move that helped free up New Orleans’ salary cup so that they could secure the signature of Devonte Graham from the Charlotte Hornets.

The post Pelicans and Jonas Valanciunas Agree to Contract Extension appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to Griffin, Williamson broke his foot during summer practices in August and had a procedure to repair the damage shortly after.

“He had a fractured right foot that was repaired surgically,” Griffin said. “His timeline should get him back on the court in the time of the regular season. That would be our hope and our view. And we’re very optimistic about what that looks like.”

Griffin added that the Pelicans’ brass met with Williamson and his family in order to lay out a plan for his return to the court.

Zion Williamson, who was the first-overall pick in 2019, has already dealt with several injuries in his young NBA career. During his rookie season, Williamson only managed to play 25 games after spending the better part of 2019-20 sidelined with a knee injury.

In his sophomore year, Williamson played 61 games but had to wrap up his 2020-21 season earlier than expected due to a thumb injury. The Duke product has been averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game since entering the league.

The post Pelicans Reveal Zion Williamson Had Foot Surgery in Offseason appeared first on yoursportspot.com.