The New Orleans Pelicans recently got Herb Jones back in the lineup after dealing with a calf injury, but lost him again for the time being as he was given an ejection during the team’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Herb Jones’ ejection occurred right before halftime of the Pelicans game against the Blazers as he was whistled for a foul against Deni Avdija as the second quarter buzzer expired. Jones, upset at the call, had words for one of the officials and was given a technical foul. He continued his words and was given the second technical and ejected.

Herb Jones had been sidelined for eight games due to the calf injury, and he made his return to the Pelicans’ lineup on Dec. 8 against the San Antonio Spurs. The matchup against the Blazers was only Jones’ second game back since the injury.

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Before his ejection, he had four points, six rebounds and one blocked shot in a little over 14 minutes of play. He was shooting 2-of-9 from the field and 0-of-1 from the 3-point line. In his return against the Spurs, he had 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and one blocked shot.

Jones has appeared in 17 games so far this season for the Pelicans, at just about 30 minutes per game. He had been averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals with splits of 40.4 percent shooting from the field, 34.7 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 78.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

The No. 35 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Jones has developed into the one of the best defensive players in the NBA. He has reportedly drawn trade interest amid the Pelicans’ disappointing season, but the team has shown no indication that they’re willing to engage in trade discussions.