The New Orleans Pelicans were steamrolling the Los Angeles Clippers in the first half of action. Zion Williamson was getting dimes along while CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III scored buckets. However, it was not a perfect night for them at all. They saw Jonas Valanciunas go down and it could cost them this game as well as some other games down the line.
Jonas Valanciunas has now officially been listed as ‘out' for the Clippers game, per Pelicans PR. He is nursing a right calf contusion after seeing the floor in just 11 minutes of action.
The Pelicans center made the most out of his time before tragedy struck. He notched eight points while also delivering an assist. Two rebounds rounded out his stat sheet before heading into the locker rooms for evaluation and treatment. This means that other members of the Pelicans system will need to step up to maintain their lead.
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So far, Trey Murphy III is leading them in scoring with 13 points. CJ McCollum is following suit with 12 points and is on pace for a double-double with seven rebounds. Herb Jones has also stepped up by notching 12 points. All the while, Zion Williamson has been displaying his insane playmaking and court vision by dropping eight assists despite just having four points and two boards.
This is a big hit for the Pelicans but they only have 15 minutes left to retain the lead. However, they do need to be wary as James Harden, Norman Powell, and Kawhi Leonard are heating up.