Lonzo Ball misses third straight game with right hip flexor strain vs. Nuggets

Lonzo Ball will miss his third straight game on Friday with a right hip flexor strain. The Pelicans ruled out Ball officially 30 minutes before their clash with the Denver Nuggets but David Griffin had effectively ruled him out earlier in the day.

While addressing the media about the trade deadline, Griffin mentioned in passing that Ball would likely not play on Friday or Saturday due to his injury. On Thursday, Ball started practice with the team before pulling himself out early, Stan Van Gundy told the media.

Ball has missed the last two games for the Pelicans, a win in Denver on Sunday and a home win against the Lakers on Tuesday. The extended break between games did not serve as enough time away from the court for Ball to get healthy.

After the weekend back-to-back, the Pelicans play on Monday in Boston, Thursday at home against Orlando and Friday at home against Atlanta.