Pelicans’ Alvarado out 3 weeks, Nance out 2 weeks

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado will be out at least three weeks and forward Larry Nance Jr. will miss two weeks because of recent injuries, the club announced Tuesday.

Those losses to the roster come as the Pelicans have been sliding down the Western Conference standings with 18 losses in 25 games since star power forward Zion Williamson strained his right hamstring.

Alvarado, a prominent reserve and the MVP of the Rising Stars game during NBA All-Star weekend, played 15 minutes during New Orleans’ 101-93 loss to Orlando on Monday night. He was diagnosed Tuesday with a stress reaction in his right tibia.

Nance sprained his left ankle during Saturday’s loss to the Knicks in New York. The Pelicans said he will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Williamson had a setback shortly before the All-Star break, but the Pelicans said he “continues to make progress with rehabilitation” and that a more precise timeline for his return could come after medical imaging scheduled for next week.

New Orleans (30-32) held 10th place in the Western Conference by percentage points over Portland (29-31) entering play Tuesday. The Pelicans visit the Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

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