SAN FRANCISCO – Tyreke Evans waited six years to finally make his NBA playoff debut. Unfortunately for New Orleans’ starting point guard, after just 12 minutes of playing time Saturday, his initial pro postseason experience was halted by a left knee bone bruise. He was unable to return to his team’s 106-99 loss to Golden State.
As a result, New Orleans may be forced again into reconfiguring its lineup in a crucial game. Evans, who was held out of Sunday’s practice at the University of San Francisco, is listed as questionable to play in Game 2 tomorrow night (9:30 p.m. Central, Fox Sports New Orleans). The Pelicans are hopeful that the 2009-10 Rookie of the Year will be able to play, but if not, it will likely mean more minutes for point guards Norris Cole and Jrue Holiday, the latter only recently returning from a leg injury.
Speaking to media today, Evans termed his status as a game-time decision, saying he will be evaluated Monday morning. The Pelicans are holding shootaround tomorrow on the USF campus.
“The doctors told me to stay off of it and see how I feel tomorrow,” NOLA’s second-leading scorer said. “I feel better (than Saturday). It calmed down after the game. I haven’t really pushed off yet or done any movement. (I will receive) a lot of treatment and just go from there.”
Evans underwent an MRI and said that the test indicated a bruised bone. He sustained the injury during a knee-to-knee collision in the second quarter with Golden State sixth man Andre Iguodala.
“I tried to (return to the game), but I just felt a sharp pain in my knee,” Evans said. “I went back (to the locker room) and had a doctor look at it.”
Evans added that he was unable to run at full-speed yesterday. If that continues, he will not play against the Warriors, the NBA’s No. 1 team in pace this season.
“It’s the leg I push off of when I go to the basket,” Evans said, describing some of what could prevent him from being on the floor for Game 2. “(I need to be) pushing off and attacking the basket how I attack it. (I will) see how it feels and how the pain level is. I couldn’t run full-speed. If you can’t run full-speed, you don’t want to be out there against this team.”
If Evans if unable to play, the Pelicans may start Cole, as was the case to begin the second half of Game 1 with Evans sidelined. Cole also started in Evans’ place during March games against Brooklyn and the Clippers. The Pelicans have the luxury of considerable depth at point guard, with 2013 All-Star Holiday returning late in the regular season from injury. Holiday has played 25 and 21 minutes in the team’s past two games, respectively, up from what was initially a 15-minute restriction.
“It does help to have more than a normal share of guards, but Tyreke is a big part of what we do,” Pelicans fifth-year head coach Monty Williams said. “Our points in the paint were down yesterday. Tyreke’s a big part of that, even when he’s not scoring. He does a lot of damage getting to the hole, and we didn’t have that.”