Pelicans Make Important Announcement Before 76ers Matchup

The Pelicans expected to be without Jones before they offered an official update on Friday. When the Pelicans released their injury report on Thursday night, Jones was ruled out due to a “right shoulder strain.”

With an official diagnosis in play, the Pelicans anticipate rolling without Jones for some time.

The new setback isn’t Jones’ first injury this year. After the first four games of the 2024-2025 NBA season, Jones went inactive for a long stretch. He missed his first action on October 30 and didn’t return until December 5.

After missing 18 games in a row, Jones played in 16 straight games for the Pelicans. He started all of those matchups, seeing the court for 33 minutes per game.

During that stretch, Jones averaged 11 points while shooting 43 percent from the field and 33 percent from three. He also recorded four rebounds, four assists, and two steals per game.

Along with Jones, the Pelicans will play without Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy, and potentially Dejounte Murray on Friday against the Sixers.

Ingram has been off the court due to a left ankle sprain. While he could be on track to return soon, the Pelicans don’t anticipate having the forward for the rest of this week. Trey Murphy is dealing with the same sort of setback, missing the last two games for New Orleans.

Meanwhile, Murray is dealing with multiple setbacks. According to the official NBA injury report, Murray is battling right elbow tendonitis and a right shin contusion. He’s likely a game-time decision for the Pelicans in South Philly.

Sixers Setbacks

The Sixers are going to miss their fair share of players on Friday. The rookie Jared McCain will continue his long absence as he was recently ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season after undergoing surgery for a lateral meniscus tear last month.

KJ Martin will also continue his recovery from a foot stress reaction. While he could be back out on the floor soon, the Sixers haven’t been able to put a target date for his return in play just yet.

As for the day-to-day players, Kyle Lowry will miss his third-straight game due to a hip sprain. Andre Drummond continues dealing with a toe sprain, which has been bothering him since late last month.

Then, the star center Joel Embiid will be sidelined for the third game in a row. Although Embiid has dealt with multiple injuries throughout the year, a foot sprain is his latest ailment. It’s unclear just how severe the setback is, but Embiid won’t be competing on Friday.

The only injured player with a chance to play on Friday is the veteran wing, Paul George. After missing Wednesday’s action against the Washington Wizards due to groin tightness, George is probable to play on Friday night against New Orleans.

The Pelicans and the Sixers are slated for a 7 PM ET tip.

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