Pelicans vs. Heat Recap: The good, the bad and the Ball

Despite shooting 45.7 percent from beyond the arc and connecting on 16 three-pointers on the night, the New Orleans Pelicans fell to the Miami Heat on the road on Saturday, 109-94.

The Good: The fight

On one hand, it’s long become repetitive to blame injuries for the Pelicans’ slow start this season. But on Saturday, with JJ Redick, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Darius Miller all already out, Derrick Favors and Frank Jackson each suffered injuries and played eight and five minutes, respectively.

And still, the Pelicans were in the contest late because of some timely three-point shooting. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, E’Twaun Moore and Nicolo Melli all his three-pointers in a stretch of the fourth to pull the guests back into the game. Moore and Kenrich Williams each played 39 minutes and Holiday, who has battled injuries this season, played 36 minutes.

Honorable mentions: Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes’ alley-oop in the fourth

The Bad: Turnovers and late defense

There were a couple particular reasons why New Orleans couldn’t win on the night. One of them was mentioned in injuries. Another was the 18 turnovers that Miami turned into 21 points. The other was fourth-quarter defense.

While the Pelicans were bombing away in the fourth, hitting 8-of-12 threes in the period, Miami shot 71.4 percent from the field and hit four of their seven threes. Single-game and single-quarter defensive ratings aren’t great without context but the Pelicans finished with a fourth-quarter defensive rating of 136.0, which matches the eye test.

Honorable mentions: Injuries, injuries and injuries

The Ball: A growing injury report

While Lonzo Ball is injured, he’s being joined by a growing list of players. A host of Pelicans sat out on the night, though some may be a precaution with New Orleans playing the second part of a back-to-back against Golden State on Sunday.

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Pelicans vs. Heat Preview: Sprains and strains and soreness, oh my!

With JJ Redick, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart out for Saturday, the Pelicans’ depth will be tested once again against the Miami Heat.

Who: New Orleans Pelicans at Miami Heat

When: Saturday, Nov. 16, 8:00 p.m ET

Where: AmericanAirlines Arena

How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans

Each time the injuries seem like they have reached the endpoint with the Pelicans, another name mysteriously finds its way onto the injury report at the last minute. Against the Clippers on Thursday, Josh Hart was ruled out last-minute and on Saturday, after not appearing on the injury report prior to Friday, JJ Redick will join the growing list of players to miss a game this season after being ruled out with a sprained toe.

Redick joins Jahlil Okafor, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart as scratches for Saturday’s game, further testing the Pelicans’ depth. Without Redick and Hart, one of the young guards in Frank Jackson or Nickeil Walker-Alexander will likely start alongside Jrue Holiday with E’Twaun Moore anchoring the other wing spot.

In Miami, the Pelicans will face one of the best sides in the Eastern Conference. The Heat are 8-3 on the year, tied with the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors for the third-best record in the East. Their net rating of +5.8 is fifth in the league with a defense ranked third overall.

It’ll be as difficult a task as any for the Pelicans, who have proven to be a tough out for virtually every opponent regardless who is active. Saturday may present the toughest challenge, though.

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Lonzo Ball will sit vs. Miami Heat, miss fourth straight game

The New Orleans Pelicans will be without Lonzo Ball once again, this time against the Miami Heat. Ball has missed the last four games.

The New Orleans Pelicans announced that Lonzo Ball will not play against the Miami Heat on Saturday. Ball was previously listed as questionable.

Ball has now missed four consecutive games spanning over the last week with an adductor strain — more commonly known as a groin injury. While it’s possible that Ball will play on Sunday — the second night of the team’s back-to-back — there has been little-to-no update on his progress, or how close he is to returning.

Ball’s status will be updated on Sunday morning.

Jahlil Okafor and JJ Redick will also sit out of Saturday evening’s matchup with the Heat. Okafor is dealing with the left ankle sprain that kept him out of Thursday’s game against the LA Clippers, while Redick is nursing a toe sprain,

Brandon Ingram — the team’s leading scorer— is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. Ingram has missed the last two games with right knee soreness.

While starting lineups haven’t been announced yet, it’s likely Frank Jackson will start in the backcourt alongside Jrue Holiday with E’twaun Moore, Kenrich Williams and Derrick Favors rounding out the starting five, assuming Ingram doesn’t play. Official updates on the starting lineup and Ingram’s status will provided closer to tip-off.

The Pelicans and Heat will tip-off at 7 p.m. CT.

Brandon Ingram, Jahlil Okafor to sit vs. Clippers

The two former Duke Blue Devils will sit against the Clippers on Thursday.

The New Orleans Pelicans announced that former Duke Blue Devils and former top-three picks Brandon Ingram and Jahlil Okafor will be sidelined for their matchup with the LA Clippers on Thursday night.

Ingram is dealing with the right knee soreness that kept him out of Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets. Ingram leads the team in points per game with a 25.9 points per game on 53.7% percent from the field, including 46.9% from behind the arc. He’s also contributing 7.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

Meanwhile, Jahlil Okafor is nursing a right ankle sprain. Okafor is averaging 9.9 points per game on a career-high 64.8% shooting from the field.

Okafor and Ingram join Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, Darius Miller and Zion Williamson on the injury report. Head coach Alvin Gentry will roll out a starting lineup of Jrue Holiday, JJ Redick, E’Twaun Moore, Kenrich Williams and Derrick Favors.

This mark’s Moore’s first start of the regular season. Moore started 36 games last season.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Brandon Ingram to be game-time decision against Clippers

Brandon Ingram is expected to be a game-time decision in the Pelicans showdown with the Los Angeles Clippers with a knee injury.

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After being a late scratch in the Pelicans’ contest against the Rockets on Monday with a knee injury, Brandon Ingram is expected to be a game-time decision on Thursday at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. Officially, the Pelicans list Ingram as questionable on the injury report.

Ingram addressed the media after taking part in individual drills in practice on Wednesday and seemed optimistic about a potential return, calling the injury “not a big deal.”

I feel good. Just continuing to listen to the trainers and the doctors and trying to come in here and see how I feel every day.

Ingram said that he hyper-extended his knee at the end of the Pelicans’ win over Charlotte and the pain had lingered in the days between games. After taking part in the warm-up against the Rockets, Ingram was again bothered by his knee and sat out the contest.

On the season, Ingram is averaging 25.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from beyond the arc. Injuries, though, have nagged Ingram throughout his career as he’s played in just 59 and 52 games in the last two seasons, respectively.

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Pelicans vs. Clippers Preview: Injuries tell tale of two sides on different paths

The New Orleans Pelicans welcome in the Los Angeles Clippers for Paul George’s potential season debut in an anticipated clash.

Who: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Clippers

When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 8:00 p.m ET

Where: Smoothie King Center

How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans

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While the New Orleans Pelicans continue to struggle with injuries as Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart each will be out on Thursday, the Los Angeles Clippers enter on an entirely different injury-related path. After going through the opening weeks of the season undermanned, Paul George is expected to make his Clipper debut on Thursday, offering another weapon to one of the sides expected to be amongst the conference’s elites.

George’s status is still officially uncertain for the night but whether it’s Thursday, Saturday or into next week, George will add to the Clippers’ loaded roster. New Orleans, meanwhile, continues to lose players at an alarming rate this season. Hart is the latest edition in the injury report, joining Ball on the sidelines tonight while Brandon Ingram could join them with his status still uncertain. With Zion Williamson still out, the Pelicans are quickly developing a starting five on the injury report that could rival the one put on the court.

There remains the possibility that George doesn’t play on Thursday. With Kawhi Leonard not playing back-to-backs this season and having played on Wednesday, the possibility also remains neither are on the court on Thursday.

The depth the Clippers have, though, can help them absorb the lack of George and Leonard on the court, though they’ve struggled in Leonard’s absence this season. In 236 minutes without Leonard on the floor this season, the Clippers have an offensive rating of 101.3, a defensive rating of 109.3 and a net rating of -8.0. That would rank them the 28th-best offense and the 19th-ranked defense without Leonard this season.

The opportunities will be available with or without George on the court. Whether an undermanned Pelicans team can take advantage of those opportunities will be the key tonight.

Lonzo Ball to miss third straight game, Josh Hart out vs. Clippers

For the third straight game, Lonzo Ball will be sidelined by a groin injury while Josh Hart will also miss Thursday’s game against the Clippers.

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Both Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart will be out for the Pelicans’ upcoming battle with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Pelicans announced on Wednesday.

While New Orleans has remained positive about Ball’s groin injury and his recovery, Thursday will mark the third consecutive game the guard will miss. Ball initially suffered the injury in the Pelicans’ loss in Brooklyn but he played through the injury Friday against Toronto before sitting out on Saturday at Charlotte.

Hart, meanwhile, suffered left ankle and knee sprains during the team’s loss to Houston on Monday after an awkward collision near mid-court; Hart had surgery over the summer on his right knee.

Unlike the Pelicans, the Clippers will be adding to their arsenal on Thursday with Paul George expected to make his season debut for the Clippers in New Orleans. With Kawhi Leonard not playing back-to-backs this season, his status versus Houston on Wednesday is up in the air.

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Pelicans don’t expect Lonzo Ball to be sidelined long-term

The New Orleans Pelicans are hopeful that Lonzo Ball will be back on the court sooner rather than later.

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Lonzo Ball missed his second consecutive game for the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday due to an adductor strain — more commonly known as a groin injury.

Ball was optimistic that he’d play against the Houston Rockets on Monday, but he and the team both decided it would be best for him to get him a full five days of rest before their matchup with the LA Clippers on Thursday. While Ball’s status hasn’t been updated yet, Pelicans sideline reporter Jennifer Hale reported during Saturday’s broadcast that the team’s training staff is optimistic that Ball’s injury won’t be a long-term issue:

“The Pelicans’ training staff told me they’ve got to rest him, got to let it heal up but hopefully it won’t be anything long-term.”

Considering Ball’s history with long-term injuries, that’s great news for both Ball and the Pelicans. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean his return is imminent.

As noted previously, Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry suffered a left adductor strain in November of 2018 and missed 11 games over the course of three weeks. With Ball’s history of leg-related injuries, the Pelicans will likely take the cautious route with the 22-year-old point guard.

Ball’s status will be officially updated on Wednesday.

Pelicans vs. Rockets: The Good, the Bad and the Ball

The New Orleans Pelicans did their best, but they couldn’t slow down James Harden and the Houston Rockets without Brandon Ingram.

The New Orleans Pelicans still haven’t won two games in a row this season after losing to the Houston Rockets 122-116 Monday at the Smoothie King Center. Here was the good, the bad and the Ball from the contest.

The Good: The wings

With both Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram — the Pelicans’ leading scorer — sidelined for Monday night’s matchup against the Rockets, New Orleans needed a balanced scoring effort from their team and they got just that, particularly from their shooting guards.

JJ Redick and Josh Hart scored a combined 43 points, with Redick leading the way for the Pelicans with 24 points, including seven 3-pointers. Hart, who started at small forward with Ingram out, also got hot from behind the arc, draining four 3-pointers in six tries.

Unfortunately, the starting shooting guard on the Rockets is pretty good, too. In 38:16, James Harden scored a game-high 39 points on 52% shooting from the field despite going 3-11 from behind the arc. He also dished out nine assists, which was two short of Jrue Holiday’s game-high 11 assists.

The Pelicans put up a good fight for most of the game, but it’s hard to compete against a team with two superstars when you have none and injuries to key players. Giving up 122 points didn’t help their cause, either.

The Bad: The defense

The Pelicans have had the same problem all season and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. I’m, of course, talking about their defense.

New Orleans let Houston score two points above their season average (120.1) on Monday despite holding them to just 16 fast break points. Their season average going into Monday night’s game was 20.4 points.

Guarding Harden and Westbrook is no easy task, especially with Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram out, but it’s something 28 other teams have to manage and they didn’t.

The Ball

Lonzo Ball sat out of Monday’s game with a adductor strain. He’ll be re-evaluated on Tuesday.

Pelicans vs. Rockets Preview: Can New Orleans go back-to-back?

The New Orleans Pelicans will look to start their first winning streak of the season with a win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Who: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Houston Rockets

When: Monday, Nov. 11, 8:00 p.m ET

Where: Smoothie King Center

How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans

After snapping their three-game losing streak on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets, the New Orleans Pelicans (2-7) will look to get their first back-to-back wins of the regular season when they host the Houston Rockets (6-3) on Monday.

Neither team has started the season the way they wanted but the Rockets are still firmly in the playoff conversation with their All-Star backcourt featuring Russell Westbrook and James Harden — each of whom has won the league MVP award within the last three years. The same can’t be said of the Pelicans, however, who are No. 13 in the Western Conference going into Monday night’s game — a team they don’t match up well with.

The Rockets are ranked sixth in the league in fast-break points led by Russell Westbrook, who is fourth among players in fast-break points per game (5.8). The Pelicans are also ranked sixth in fast-break points but they also allow the most fast-break points in the NBA (20.4). That’s not a recipe for success against any team, but especially not the Rockets.

It’s not just transition defense that the Pelicans struggle with, though — it’s defense in general. Through nine games, the Pelicans are ranked No. 29 in the league in defensive rating, allowing 113.3 points per 100 possessions. At No. 22, the Rockets aren’t much better. But Houston has the second-most efficient offense in the NBA behind the Dallas Mavericks.

New Orleans will have to be at its best defensively on Monday. But with Lonzo Ball — one of their best defensive guards — sidelined once again, their best might not be enough. Hopefully the new-look starting lineup continues to surprise people and helps the Pelicans start their first winning streak of the season.

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