Herb Jones is out for the remainder of the Pacers game with a head injury
New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones was unable to finish Saturday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers after suffering a head injury, forcing the team to adapt on the fly despite cruising to a comfortable 128-109 victory.
Jones was ruled out for the remainder of the contest after taking an accidental punch to the face during the first half. Although he briefly returned to the bench after visiting the locker room, the Pelicans are at the bottom closed it as a precaution.
“After accidentally getting hit in the face, the Pelicans have ruled Herb Jones out for the rest of tonight’s game against the Pacers with a head injury,” Brett Siegel of Clutchpoints on X, formerly Twitter, clarified the situation.
Before exiting, Jones logged 12 minutes and contributed five points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. He played the second part of the second quarter, but never appeared after halftime.
Jordan Poole stepped into the starting lineup in the second half, while Micah Peavy absorbed most of the minutes Jones would otherwise have used. Peavey, who did not play in the previous game against the Houston Rocketshe took advantage of the opportunity and scored eight points in just over 14 minutes.
Despite Jones’ absence, the Pelicans dominated from the opening quarter, racing to a 44-point first quarter. New Orleans shot effectively, controlled the paint and limited Indiana’s success on the perimeter, holding the Pacers to 8-for-42 shooting from three-point range.
Zion Williamson paced the offense with a high-scoring night, while Derrick Quinn recorded his second straight double-double. The win marked the Pelicans’ fourth straight and continued a sharp turnaround after their dramatic comeback win earlier this week.
Jones’ next chance to return will be Monday night when New Orleans hosts the Dallas Mavericks. His status will be closely monitoredbut early signs suggest the Pelicans have avoided a prolonged setback as they try to build momentum during a critical stretch of the season.
2025-12-21 05:30:00
