After taking a hard fall to the floor on a drive to the basket in Friday’s win over the LA Clippers, New Orleans third-year starting wing Herb Jones is being listed as questionable to play Saturday vs. Portland (6 p.m., Bally Sports, WRNO 99.5 FM), due to a low back/hip contusion. Meanwhile, key frontcourt reserve Larry Nance Jr. (non-Covid illness) is out. Nance joins four other Pelicans players as out, a group that includes Dyson Daniels (left knee meniscectomy), E.J. Liddell (G League on assignment), Malcolm Hill (G League two-way) and Dereon Seabron (G League two-way).
For Portland, Malcolm Brogdon (elbow), Shaedon Sharpe (abdominal) and Robert Williams III (knee) were listed as out on Friday’s injury report. Jerami Grant (hamstring) and Jabari Walker (hip) are doubtful. Matisse Thybulle (ankle) is questionable. Anfernee Simons (knee) and Rayan Rupert (ankle) are probable. Grant, Simons, Sharpe and Brogdon are all among Portland’s top six players in starts made this season.
Previous Game Starting Lineups
PORTLAND (19-47, 14TH IN WEST)
Thursday loss vs. New York
Scoot Henderson, Dalano Banton, Kris Murray, Toumani Camara, Deandre Ayton
NEW ORLEANS (40-26, 5TH IN WEST)
Friday win vs. LA Clippers
CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas
Season Series
Feb. 10: New Orleans 93, at Portland 84
March 16: at New Orleans, 6 p.m. (Bally Sports)
April 9: at Portland, 9 p.m. (Bally Sports)