Injuries piling up as Jazz begin two-game set with Pelicans
Injuries are afflicting the Utah Jazz and shortening the rotation of available, healthy players ahead of a two-game set against the New Orleans Pelicans in Salt Lake City.
Utah will have a shortened roster going through the rest of the season, starting with Wednesday's showdown with the Pelicans.
Two starters, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic, have already been shut down due to season-ending surgeries. The Jazz also lost Vince Williams Jr., a key rotation player acquired from Memphis with Jackson, to a torn ACL.
Williams injured his knee during the second quarter of Utah's 125-105 road loss to Houston on Monday. Tari Eason hip-checked him while they were both running down the court, causing Williams' knee to bend the wrong direction as he fell out of bounds in front of the Jazz bench. Williams had to be helped to the locker room.
An MRI later confirmed the torn ligament. Williams appeared in only six games for Utah, averaging 4.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
"Obviously devastated for Vince," Jazz point guard Keyonte George told the Deseret News after the game. "Everybody's gonna have their own opinion (about the play), but can't really look into it too much. These plays, just running down the floor ... just a freak accident, honestly."
George himself has missed five straight games with an ankle injury. Utah has lost three straight while he has been sidelined.
The lack of offensive depth showed against the Rockets. Lauri Markkanen scored a team-high 29 points against Houston, while Brice Sensabaugh added 26 off the bench. But their teammates combined for only 50 points while collectively shooting 16 for 60 (26.7%) from the field.
New Orleans has been on a more promising trajectory heading into Utah.
The Pelicans picked up their second straight win Tuesday by beating Golden State 113-109. They are 4-2 overall in their last six games.
Zion Williamson has been a catalyst for the uptick in success, averaging 26.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists since the NBA All-Star break. He matched a season high with eight assists against Philadelphia on Saturday and has led the Pelicans in scoring in three of his last four games.
Williamson has also shown some unusual durability -- given his length injury history -- appearing in 33 straight games.
The veteran forward got added help with Dejounte Murray making his season debut against Golden State. Murray ruptured his Achilles tendon Jan. 31, 2025, and spent nearly 13 months rehabbing the injury. He scored 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting against the Warriors while adding three assists, one steal and five turnovers.
"I felt good, and I felt like I was active," Murray told NOLA.com after the game. "The win is what matters. I'm hungry. I'm starving."
New Orleans will start a six-game road trip in Utah. The Pelicans will face the Jazz again Saturday night.