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Andrew LopezESPN
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday will miss Saturday’s game against the Houston Rockets with a left knee sprain but should be day-to-day in his recovery, multiple sources told ESPN.
Holiday injured the knee when he drove down the lane with 5:18 left in the third quarter in Friday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Holiday’s ankle turned as he was fouled and his knee was injured in the process. He knocked down both free throws and continued to play the rest of the game.
Sources told ESPN that the Pelicans had an MRI done on Holiday’s knee last night and it revealed no structural damage.
It was a relief for New Orleans who is already without No. 1 pick Zion Williamson for 6-8 weeks because of a torn meniscus.
Holiday has struggled from the floor in the first two games for New Orleans. He’s averaging 10.5 points and 7.0 assists per game, but he’s 8-of-26 from the floor and 1-of-9 from deep.
Additionally he’s spending a lot of his energy on the defensive end of the floor.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, Holiday, a first-team All-Defensive team selection in 2017-18 and a second-team honoree last season, is holding opponents to a 37.9 shooting percentage (11-of-29).
In the opener against Toronto, Holiday held forward Pascal Siakam to 0-of-5 shooting when he was the primary defender and held Luka Doncic to 3-of-9 shooting on Friday.
The Pelicans play at Houston on Saturday before hosting Golden State Warriors on Monday night.