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Tyreke Evans will play, Jrue Holiday out for Game 2

UPDATE after pregame workouts: Tyreke Evans (left knee bruise) will play tonight against Golden State. Jrue Holiday (soreness in right leg) has been ruled out of Game 2.

OAKLAND – Roughly 90 minutes before tip-off of Game 2, Pelicans Coach Monty Williams said Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday remain game-time decisions Monday. Both players are making their final preparations and trying to be on the floor for the 7:30 Pacific time (approximately) start. If both play, Evans would start at point guard, with Holiday coming off the bench, as has been the case recently. If Evans is sidelined, Norris Cole will start.

“The backup plan is to do what we did in the second half,” Williams said of Cole beginning the third quarter of Game1 on the floor due to Evans sustaining a first-half injury. “We’ll play Norris at point guard. He did a great job the other night. Toney (Douglas) could see some action if (Evans and Holiday) can’t go.”

As a result of constant injuries, the Pelicans are accustomed to having to adjust on the fly with their lineup and rotation.

“We’ll see what they can do, as far as playing tonight,” Williams said of Evans and Holiday. “It’s nothing new. We've dealt with this pretty much all season long. We know how to deal with it."

In addition to Cole and Douglas, the role for shooting guard Eric Gordon could increase and include more ballhandling duties depending on the status of Evans and Holiday. Gordon played 35 minutes in Game 1.

Other notes:

  • Williams on the notion that although the Pelicans expect to perform better than they did in Game 1, they should be prepared for the same from the Warriors: “We have to play better. We have to have a mental understanding that they’re going to play better. I feel like we can play a lot better. We don’t want to overanalyze what we’ve done, because we did do some good things (in Game 1).”
  • Williams asked if his much-discussed comments earlier Monday about the decibel level at Oracle Arena might stir up Warriors fans even more: “They’ve got some of the best fans in the league. I don’t think you can add more fuel to the fire. I in no way meant to insult first of all, (Warriors Owner Joe) Lacob, who I’ve gotten to know over the last couple years. If I’m a lightning rod, then it’s a messed-up world. It’s not anything you can change. (The Warriors) have passionate fans. I expect the same thing when we go back to our place (for Game 3 of the series). You deal with the same thing in Oklahoma City, Portland, Sacramento, different places around the league. I don’t mean to insult anybody. I hope it was taken tongue-in-cheek, but I understand how things get taken out of context at times.”