Larry Nance Jr's status for the New Orleans Pelicans' NBA Play-In Tournament game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday is still up in the air. Pelicans head coach Willie Green said Nance Jr participated in practice on Tuesday which is certainly a good sign. However, the team is still going to monitor how he's feeling heading into Wednesday, per Andrew Lopez.
The Pelicans have dealt with various injury concerns throughout the 2022-23 campaign, notably, Zion Williamson has continued to deal with injuries. If Larry Nance Jr is unable to go on Wednesday, New Orleans will need all hands on deck to defeat a rather pesky Oklahoma City team.
There weren't many people around the NBA world who expect the Thunder to make any kind of competitive run following Chet Holmgren's preseason injury. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stepped up in a major way and led the Thunder to the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The Pelicans will still feel confident heading into this game. CJ McCollum is an established veteran who has big game experience. He's going to do everything he can to lead New Orleans.
One area where New Orleans can gain a crucial advantage is on the boards. The Thunder and Pelicans were fairly evenly-matched from a rebounding perspective during the season. As a result, whichever team is able to consistently crash the glass should earn a leg up in this contest. And having Larry Nance Jr on the floor would help in that regard.
We will continue to monitor and provide updates on Larry Nance Jr's status prior to tip-off.
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