As the New Orleans Pelicans try to get into the play-in tournament, they have been falling in the Western Conference standings. When they play the Charlotte Hornets at home on Thursday night, they will try to take advantage of another team that is out of the playoff race.
Update on the latest injury update for the Pelicans vs. the Hornets
New Orleans Pelicans Report
Willie Green, the coach of the Pelicans, said, “It doesn’t matter who we play.” “We have to continue to build our execution to be at a certain level, to be at a certain standard. Our defense, our communication on the defensive end and rebounding the ball — these are all things that build your confidence going into the next game no matter who touches the floor.”
Zion Williamson, an All-Star forward, won’t play because he hasn’t been able to play since he hurt his hamstring on January 2.
The Pelicans said on Wednesday that Williamson, who recently had a setback, can now go back to playing on the court and will be checked again in two weeks.
Green said after practice on Wednesday,”I can’t confirm if he’ll be back.” “”We’re going to take it kind of slow.”
Tuesday night, New Orleans beat the short-handed Spurs 119-84 to improve their home record to 23-13. They were 35-37 at the time. Before going on a four-game road trip against teams from the Western Conference, the Pelicans hope to improve their record against Charlotte.
Brandon Ingram finished Tuesday’s 119-84 win over the Spurs with 32 points (10-16 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 10-10 FT), four rebounds, seven assists, and one block in 31 minutes.
Ingram missed two games in mid-March because of an ankle injury, but he has been on a roll ever since. In his last four games, he has averaged 27.8 points, 7.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 36.5 minutes on the court.
Even though he played less Wednesday because the score was so bad, he was good from the floor and led the Pelicans in scoring.
The 25-year-ankle old’s injury hasn’t seemed to bother him in recent games, and he should continue to play a big role as the season winds down.
Let’s scroll down to check out who won’t be playing in Thursday’s encounter.
| PLAYER | INJURY |
STATUS
|
| Zion Williamson | Hamstring |
Expected to be out until at least Apr 7
|
| Jose Alvarado | Leg |
Expected to be out until at least Apr 7
|
| E.J. Liddell | Knee |
Expected to be out until at least Jul 1
|
Charlotte Hornets Report
The Hornets (23-50) are out of the playoff race, but they beat Indiana 115-109 on the road on Monday night after falling behind by 21 points in the first half.
Kelly Oubre Jr., who led the Hornets in scoring with 28 points, said that the team is focused on competing every night, even though people outside of the team are thinking about their draft chances.
In the last six minutes, Charlotte beat Indiana 19–4 to end a four-game losing streak.
The first quarter ended with the Hornets down 40-22. Terry Rozier scored 23 points and Gordon Hayward added 22 more.
“They were really good early on, and we were really bad,” said Steve Clifford, the coach of the Hornets. “But you could tell that the guys in the huddle were talking about the changes they needed to make. We played better and better, so it’s great that they were rewarded tonight.”
The bench players for Charlotte lost 45-18, but when Indiana turned the ball over 22 times, the Hornets scored 35 points.
Mark Williams will not play in Thursday’s game in New Orleans because his thumb is still hurt.
Williams will miss his sixth straight game with a thumb injury on Thursday. Since there haven’t been any reports of him getting better, he should also be considered doubtful for Friday’s game in Dallas.
Nick Richards has been doing well in a bigger role without Deron Williams. In the last five games, he has averaged 9.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks while shooting 70.8 percent.
Let’s keep going down the injury list for the Hornets.
| PLAYER | INJURY |
STATUS
|
| Mark Williams | Thumb |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 24
|
| Cody Martin | Knee |
Expected to be out until at least Mar 31
|
| LaMelo Ball | Ankle |
Out for the season
|
