Tuesday night's matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Clippers features two teams going in opposite directions.
The Pelicans have lost their last three games and have the second-worst record in the Western Conference this season. Meanwhile, the Clippers want to position themselves for the best possible playoff seed as they've won three straight games.
Zion Williamson missed Sunday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies because the team still hasn't allowed him to play in back-to-back games. Williamson missed the first game between these teams earlier this year in the Clippers 116-113 victory in New Orleans. The Pelicans released the injury report for Tuesday's game and Williamson is not listed.
Pelicans injury report for tomorrow's game against the Clippers.#Pelicans | @MorrisBartLLC https://t.co/g9Srs7fRoh
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 10, 2025
New Orleans needs as much offensive firepower as possible under the Clippers' Top 10 defense in the league. Williamson scored 34 points the last time these teams met last season and he averages 22 points per game in 8 contests versus the Clippers in his career. The two-time all-star is in jeopardy of playing fewer than 40 games for the fourth time in his career.
Williamson signed a five-year extension with the Pelicans in 2022, but the contract heavily incentivized the former No. 1 overall pick to meet certain weight and game requirements. Zion played a career-high 70 games last season, but injured his hamstring during a Play-In Tournament game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Zion to the rim 💨 pic.twitter.com/ky5AeGjByV
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 7, 2025
The two-time all-star has yet to appear in the playoffs, despite his team making the postseason in two of the last three years. This season the Pelicans have long been out of contention and will look to build towards the future.
Tip-off for Tuesday night's game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST.
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