The New Orleans Pelicans say Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain that will sideline him indefinitely.

Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 131-122 to open 9-0 for the first time in their 55-year NBA history.

The New Orleans Pelicans have opted to wait until 2025 to use the last of the three first-round draft choices they received from the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the 2019 Anthony Davis trade.

The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the playoffs facing questions about their relative youth and playoff inexperience.

Jalen Williams highlighted a 24-point performance with a back-breaking 3 with three minutes left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 97-89 to complete a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, including the go-ahead basket in the final minute, and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 94-92 in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Brandon Ingram scored 24 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans booked a spot in the NBA playoffs with a 105-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings in a play-in tournament elimination game.

All four teams in the finales of the NBA play-in tournament on Friday night are dealing with injury issues.

LeBron James had 23 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers secured a playoff berth with a 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

Victor Wembanyama scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half and had a crucial block on Herb Jones’ shot in the final seconds to lift the San Antonio Spurs to a 111-109 victory over the reeling New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

Zion Williamson’s long-awaited first playoff push with the New Orleans Pelicans won’t be pain free.

Devin Booker scored 52 points, the fifth-highest scoring game of his career, to power the Phoenix Suns to a 124-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night, bringing them within a game of the Pelicans for the No. 6 playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Contrary to popular belief, there has been some defense played in the NBA this season.

Miami’s Jimmy Butler and New Orleans’ Naji Marshall have both been suspended for one game for instigating an on-court altercation that happened during the Heat-Pelicans game on Friday night.

D’Angelo Russell scored 30 points, Austin Reaves added 27 and the Los Angeles Lakers rode a spectacular 87-point first half to a 139-122 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Zion Williamson had 33 points, including the winning layup over three defenders with 3.8 seconds left, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-113.

CJ McCollum had 29 points, Brandon Ingram added 26 and the New Orleans Pelicans set a franchise record with 22 3-pointers in rolling past Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 146-110 on Sunday.

LeBron James scored 30 points in less than three quarters and the Los Angeles Lakers steamrolled the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89 on Thursday night to reach the championship game in the NBA In-Season Tournament.

Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings 127-117 in the quarterfinals of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament.

Jonas Valanciunas had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Trey Murphy scored 18 points in his first appearance this season and the New Orleans Pelicans beat San Antonio 121-106 on Friday night to send the Spurs to their 14th straight loss.

A judge has set an August trial date for four former Memphis police officers charged in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop in January.

The Memphis Grizzlies won’t have suspended star Ja Morant for 25 games at the start of their pursuit of a third consecutive Southwest Division title.

Chicago played at Miami and Oklahoma City was in Minnesota to open this NBA season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander highlighted his 32-point night with a go-ahead baseline jumper and four clutch free throws in the final 29 seconds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 123-118 to remain alive in the Western Conference play-in tourament.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert threw a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout in the second quarter against New Orleans.

Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs 119-84.

A person with direct knowledge of the situation says an MRI on Luka Doncic showed no significant issues with his bothersome left thigh.

Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic says he's unsure how he injured his left thigh or how serious it might be.

A top Memphis official says a fourth Fire Department employee is being investigated as part of the city’s probe into the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols.

A person with knowledge of the decision says Kevin Love has chosen to sign with the Miami Heat for the remainder of the season once he clears waivers.

New Orleans Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin says All-Star forward Zion Williamson has aggravated his previously injured right hamstring.

LeBron James moved 36 points away from breaking the NBA career scoring record in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 131-126 loss to New Orleans on Saturday night that ended the Pelicans’ losing streak at 10 games.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been ruled out of a game against New Orleans after exiting in the third quarter with a right heel injury.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 50 points and 13 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks trounced New Orleans 135-110.

The New Orleans Pelicans say Zion Williamson is expected to be out at least two more weeks following a re-evaluation of his right hamstring injury.

Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 41 points and had 12 rebounds and the Boston Celtics won their fourth straight game, holding off the New Orleans Pelicans 125-114 on Wednesday night.

Kevin Durant has a sprained right knee and the Brooklyn Nets say he will miss at least two weeks.

CJ McCollum scored a season-high 40 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs 126-117 to end their four-game losing streak.

Devin Booker scored a season-high 58 points, using one of the best scoring efforts of his career to nearly single-handedly push the Phoenix Suns past the New Orleans Pelicans 118-114 on Saturday night.

The Phoenix Suns have scratched leading scorer Devin Booker from their game against the New Orleans Pelicans because of tightness in his left hamstring.

Zion Williamson scored 30 points and matched a career high with 15 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans rolled to a 117-99 victory Friday night over the San Antonio Spurs, who were without coach Gregg Popovich.

Zion Williamson had a season-high 32 points along with 11 rebounds and the New Orleans Pelicans never trailed Wednesday night while handing the San Antonio Spurs their sixth straight loss, 129-110.

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is sitting out San Antonio’s game against the Lakers with an illness.

C.

Kyrie Irving is eligible to return from his suspension, but Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers he had no update on when the guard would return.

The defending champion Golden State Warriors fell to 0-6 on the road, losing 114-105 to Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins sidelined.

Trey Murphy III scored 22 points and the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans overcame Luka Doncic’s latest prolific performance to beat the Dallas Mavericks 113-111.

Zion Williamson returned from a one-year absence with 25 points and nine rebounds, powering the New Orleans Pelicans to a season-opening 130-108 rout of the Brooklyn Nets.

Zion Williamson had a simple message after New Orleans’ preseason game in Miami on Wednesday night.

The San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday announced their broadcast schedule for the 2022-23 NBA season.

Zion Williamson agent Austin Brown says the star forward has agreed to a five-year extension with the New Orleans Pelicans worth $193 million.

Chris Paul went 14 for 14 in the best shooting night in NBA playoff history, Devin Booker returned from a hamstring injury to hit a late 3-pointer and the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 115-109 on Thursday night to finish off the first-round series in six games.

All-Star guard Devin Booker returned to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night for Game 6 against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing three games because of a strained right hamstring.

Brandon Ingram scored 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Phoenix Suns — playing with injured star Devin Booker — 118-103 in Game 4 on Sunday night to tie the first-round series.

Phoenix Suns All-Star guard Devin Booker has a right hamstring strain, clouding his status for the remainder of the team’s first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Brandon Ingram scored 37 points, CJ McCollum added 23 and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the top-seeded Phoenix Suns 125-114 in Game 2, evening the series in their Western Conference first-round matchup.

Chris Paul scored 19 of his 30 points during a brilliant fourth-quarter shooting display and the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 110-99 on Sunday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.

Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 105-101 in a play-in and earn the West’s No. 8 seed for the playoffs.

CJ McCollum scored 27 of his 32 points in the first half, Brandon Ingram shook foul trouble to add 27 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the San Antonio Spurs 113-103 on Wednesday night in a Western Conference play-in game.

Klay Thompson's 41-point performance included seven 3-pointers for the Golden State Warriors, who clinched the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs with a 128-107 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ja Morant had 21 points and nine assists in his return from soreness in his right knee, Dillon Brooks scored 23 points and the Memphis Grizzlies routed the New Orleans Pelicans 141-114 on Saturday night to tie the 2012-13 franchise record for victories in a season at 56.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant returned to action Saturday night against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing nine games with right knee soreness.

Dejounte Murray had 15 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, Keldon Johnson punctuated his 21-point night with a break-away dunk in the final seconds and the San Antonio Spurs bolstered their postseason hopes with a 107-103 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

C.J McCollum had 20 points and the New Orleans Pelicans strengthened their play-in hopes by beating the San Antonio Spurs 124-91 on Friday night.

Luka Doncic had 49 points and 15 rebounds and the Dallas Mavericks never trailed in a 125-118 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night, their sixth victory in seven games.

Dejounte Murray had 31 points and 12 rebounds, and San Antonio Spurs beat the New Orleans Pelicans 124-114 on Saturday night to give them a pair of double-digit, wire-to-wire road victories in the span of 24 hours.

Kevin Durant has a sprained medial collateral ligament of his left knee, sidelining the NBA’s leading scorer just as the Brooklyn Nets were poised to finally have a lengthy run with their Big Three.

Kevin Durant missed the second half of Brooklyn’s game against New Orleans after spraining his left knee in a collision.

The New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to allow forward Zion Williamson to continue his rehabilitation from a broken foot away from team headquarters.

Devonte Graham’s 61-foot heave at the buzzer lifted the New Orleans Pelicans to a 113-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jakob Poeltl had 24 points and 12 rebounds, Derrick White added 24 points, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the New Orleans Pelicans 112-97 on Sunday night.

The New Orleans Pelicans say Zion Williamson has experienced a “regression” in his surgically repaired right foot.

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is expected to miss at least the first week o the regular season because his recovery from surgery to repair a right foot fracture is taking longer than anticipated.

Los Angeles police say New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest after a struggle with officers responding to a report of a domestic dispute.

The New Orleans Pelicans have hired Phoenix Suns assistant Willie Green as their new head coach.

New Orleans Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin says Stan Van Gundy is out as coach following just one season at the helm.

LeBron James scored 25 points before he appeared to mildly aggravate a right ankle injury,and the Los Angeles Lakers closed out the regular season with a 110-98 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

The NBA has fined New Orleans Pelicans executive David Griffin $50,000 for publicly criticizing officiating over how star Zion Williamson is handled and making comments that the league considered detrimental.

The Golden State Warriors took a big step toward locking up a postseason berth with a 123-108 victory over the desperate New Orleans Pelicans.

DeMar DeRozan scored 11 of his team-high 32 points in the final 7:40 and made all 12 of his free throws in the San Antonio Spurs’ 110-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night.

Julius Randle had 33 points and 10 assists, Derrick Rose made huge plays all over the court to spark New York’s streak-saving finish and the Knicks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 122-112 in overtime for their sixth consecutive victory.

Kevin Durant returned from a 23-game absence to spark Brooklyn’s most explosive half of the season, finishing with 17 points and perfect shooting in the Nets’ 139-111 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Bledsoe (5) is blocked by San Antonio Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge (12) as he tries to score during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)NEW YORK – LaMarcus Aldridge plans to sign with the Brooklyn Nets for the remainder of the season, a person with knowledge of the details said Saturday. After reaching a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, the veteran forward quickly became a coveted free agent for contending teams. He decided to become the latest big name on the Brooklyn roster, the person told The Associated Press. He was an All-Star in three of his seasons in San Antonio.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Tuesday, March 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)NEW ORLEANS – Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 36 points, Zion Williamson had 27 points and nine rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 128-111 on Tuesday night. Ingram helped keep the Pelicans comfortably in front with 17 points in the third quarter, showcasing his mid-range repertoire of pull-ups, fades and turnaround jumpers. Pelicans guard Josh Hart — like Ingram an ex-Laker who was part of the trade that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles — grabbed 15 rebounds to go with five steals. ... Steven Adams had 12 points and seven rebounds.

They are the first NBA team to acknowledge a widescale receipt of the vaccine by members of a club. “In my opinion, the more people we can encourage to get vaccinated, the better off all of us are going to be," Van Gundy said. AdMany of the Pelicans’ players fall into that category, despite being NBA players and elite athletes. The NBA has been holding Zoom calls with teams for the past several weeks, educating players and staffers on the vaccine. “We need to understand where that comes from,” Van Gundy said.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Bledsoe (5) is blocked by San Antonio Spurs center LaMarcus Aldridge (12) as he tries to score during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)DALLAS – LaMarcus Aldridge has played his final game for the San Antonio Spurs, with coach Gregg Popovich announcing Wednesday night that the team and the seven-time All-Star have mutually agreed to seek opportunities for him elsewhere. The Spurs will try to trade Aldridge before the March 25 deadline. “LaMarcus is not with the team," Popovich said before the Spurs played the Dallas Mavericks. The 35-year-old Aldridge was in his sixth season with the Spurs after playing his first nine NBA seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.

FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2020, file photo, images of Kobe Bryant are displayed as fans enter Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse for an NBA basketball game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New Orleans Pelicans in Cleveland. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Tuesday, March 2, 2021, that the 2021 induction ceremony will take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on October 30. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)CLEVELAND – The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that the 2021 induction ceremony will take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on October 30. President and CEO Greg Harris said the ceremony's move to the fall will likely stick, going forward, news outlets reported. Last year’s ceremony was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, and eventually replaced with an HBO special honoring the inductees.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket over Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang, left, and center Rudy Gobert, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, March 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)NEW ORLEANS – Zion Williamson had 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and the New Orleans Pelicans held off a late Utah charge to beat the NBA-leading Jazz 129-124 on Monday night. Williamson scored 15 points and added a pair of assists in the quarter. ... Utah had its highest scoring second quarter of the season with 41 points ... Utah shot 45.5% (46 of 101), including 17 of 43 from 3-point range. Pelicans: Hart scored 13 points to go with seven rebounds.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)SAN ANTONIO – DeMar DeRozan had 32 points and 11 assists and the short-handed San Antonio Spurs held on to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 117-114 on Saturday night. Brandon Ingram had 29 points and Zion Williamson added 23 points and 14 rebounds for New Orleans. It marked the fifth time DeRozan has had at least 25 points and 10 assists since joining the Spurs in 2018. Dejounte Murray added 18 points, and Lonnie Walker IV had 17 for San Antonio. San Antonio finished 12 for 32 on 3-pointers.

(AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Big West Conference will hold its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments without spectators, including family and guests of the teams. The Big West’s board of directors decided to start the season without fans in attendance. AdPelicans officials say they are hoping to allow as many as 4,000 fans per game later this season. The Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers have been permitted to have a limited number of fans at games during the pandemic. AdThe governor said about 1,700 to 1,800 fans should be allowed to attend Devils games under the new rules.

Doncic scored a career-high 46 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 36 and the Mavericks overcame Williamson's career-best 36 points in a 143-130 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. The Mavericks matched their season best with a fourth consecutive victory and beat the Pelicans for the fifth straight time. The Pelicans gave up a franchise-record 25 3-pointers for the second consecutive game. Mavericks: Dallas finished above 50% shooting for the third consecutive game while improving to 7-0 when scoring at least 120 points. MORE HISTORY FOR DONCICDoncic tied a franchise record shared by Mark Aguirre (1983-84) and Dirk Nowitzki (2005-06) with his 13th consecutive game of at least 25 points.

Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine dunks past New Orleans Pelicans' Lonzo Ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Chicago. LaVine scored a season-high 46 points, hitting nine of Chicago's franchise-record 25 3-pointers, and the Bulls cooled off the New Orleans Pelicans with a 129-116 victory Wednesday. LaVine and White became the first duo in NBA history to make at least eight 3s apiece in the same game, according to STATS. “We (were) due for a good team shooting night,” White said. Zion Williamson had 29 points for New Orleans, and Brandon Ingram finished with 21 points on 6-for-19 shooting.

San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan, right, drives to the basket on Portland Trail Blazers guard Rodney Hood, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. SAN ANTONIO – The Spurs game against the New Orleans Pelicans scheduled for Tuesday night has been postponed. The league postponed the game in accordance with its COVID health and safety protocols. The league said due to the contact tracing, the Spurs or Pelicans did not have the required eight players to proceed with the game as scheduled. This is the first Spurs regular season game to be suspended due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) shoots as Utah Jazz center Derrick Favors (15) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)MIAMI – USA Basketball is casting a wider-than-usual net in its roster selection for this summer's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, two people with knowledge of the situation said Saturday. The additions mean at least 60 players could be on the player-pool list that will be released by USA Basketball in the coming weeks. ESPN first reported that USA Basketball has sent approximately 60 invitations to be part of the player pool. USA Basketball is planning a training camp and exhibition games.

(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz got off to a tough start. Then Donovan Mitchell and company pushed their way right past the New Orleans Pelicans. Mitchell scored a season-high 36 points, and the Jazz rallied to beat the Pelicans 129-118 on Thursday night for their seventh straight win. Ingram made all six of his shots, including four 3s, as the Pelicans tallied 43 points in the first quarter. Both Mitchell (21 points) and Ingram (20 points) posted season highs for a first half.

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, left, goes to the basket as New Orleans Pelicans guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)SALT LAKE CITY – Donovan Mitchell had 28 points and seven rebounds, and the Utah Jazz beat the New Orleans Pelicans 118-102 on Tuesday night for their sixth straight victory. Ball finished with seven points, four assists, and three steals. … New Orleans scored 22 points off 14 Jazz turnovers. … Derrick Favors had nine points and seven rebounds in his first game against the Pelicans after spending last season in New Orleans.

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Friday, Dec. 25, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Joel Auerbach)The Miami Heat just wrapped up two consecutive days of practice, which is significant for this reason: It might not happen again for a while. Practice time is something that will be in short supply around the NBA this season; teams are basically playing every other day, and that — along with travel and mandated days off — realistically leaves time for no more than two practices per week. “I think you need to adjust and at least we’re all on an even playing field, so it’s all relative,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Every team in the NBA will have similar practice quandaries, which comes with the territory of having plenty of four-game weeks.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Bledsoe (5) dribbles against Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 25, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Joel Auerbach)MIAMI – Erik Spoelstra remained perfect on Christmas, and a record-tying show from Duncan Robinson helped him stay that way. Robinson made seven 3-pointers — tying the most on Christmas ever — and scored 23 points, and the Heat beat the New Orleans Pelicans 111-98 to start the NBA’s holiday quintupleheader Friday. Spoelstra moved to 8-0 on Christmas as coach of the Heat. COMING HOMEVeteran ref John Goble was crew chief and got to be home for Christmas; he’s a Miami native.

Van Gundy agreed to a four-year contract, according to one of the people who spoke Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the hiring has not been announced. Van Gundy has a track record of bridging that gap between knowledge and talent with younger players in his previous coaching stops. “There is a lot of teaching to do to bring these guys along,” Van Gundy said Tuesday during a formal introduction via video conference because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the Pelicans, Van Gundy said, he saw ownership that had won a championship in a major professional sport, even if it was the NFL. Van Gundy called Williamson and Ingram “two of the most unique young guys in the entire league.”“There's just a lot to build around there,” he added.

Two people with knowledge of the situation say Stan Van Gundy has agreed to become the next coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, where hell get the chance to work with No. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)Stan Van Gundy announced Wednesday that he is headed to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he'll take over a promising team that includes No. Van Gundy said on his Twitter account that he was “excited" and thanked Pelicans owner Gayle Benson and others for the opportunity. “I’m excited to join a talented New Orleans Pelicans team," Van Gundy wrote. In New Orleans, Van Gundy will replace Alvin Gentry, who was let go after the Pelicans missed this season’s playoffs.