Pelicans’ Herb Jones ruled out for rest of Pacers game with head injury

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones was unable to finish Saturday night’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers after suffering a head injury, forcing the team to adjust on the fly despite cruising to a comfortable 128-109 win.

Jones was ruled out for the remainder of the contest after taking an accidental hit to the face during the first half. Although he briefly returned to the bench after visiting the locker room, the Pelicans ultimately shut him down for precautionary reasons.

“After accidentally getting hit in the face, the Pelicans have ruled Herb Jones out for the remainder of tonight’s game against the Pacers with a head injury,” Brett Siegel of Clutchpoints explained the situation clearly on X, formerly Twitter.

Before exiting, Jones logged 12 minutes and contributed across the stat sheet with five points, three rebounds, three assists, and a steal. He played through the latter portion of the second quarter but never emerged after halftime.

Jordan Poole stepped into the starting lineup for the second half, while Micah Peavy absorbed the bulk of the minutes normally occupied by Jones. Peavy, who had not played in the previous game against Houston Rockets, made the most of the opportunity by scoring eight points in just over 14 minutes.

Despite Jones’ absence, the Pelicans dominated from the opening tip, racing to a 44-point first quarter. New Orleans shot efficiently, controlled the paint, and limited Indiana’s perimeter success, holding the Pacers to 8-for-42 shooting from three-point range.

Zion Williamson powered the offense with a game-high scoring night, while Derik Queen recorded his second straight double-double. The win marked the Pelicans’ fourth consecutive victory and continued a sharp turnaround after their dramatic comeback win earlier in the week.

Jones’ next opportunity to return will come Monday night when New Orleans hosts the Dallas Mavericks. His status will be closely monitored, but early signs suggest the Pelicans avoided a long-term setback as they try to build momentum during a critical stretch of the season.