Lonzo Ball Moves Back into Pelicans' Starting Lineup Ahead of Jazz Game

After missing three games with bilateral knee tendinitis, New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball will start in the team's Tuesday night game against the Utah Jazz.

The Pelicans announced Ball would return to the lineup less than two hours before they took the court in Utah. He had been listed as probable on the game-day injury report earlier. 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker filled in for Ball in the starting lineup while he was sidelined. 

The Pelicans snapped a five-game skid when they defeated the Sacramento Kings 128-123 on Sunday. Although they lost the first two games of Ball's absence, they got to tinker around with their offense, especially as Zion Williamson missed one game while he worked his way back through the league's health and safety protocols following an inconclusive test for COVID-19.

Alexander-Walker was particularly stellar in his first start of the season against the Los Angeles Clippers, dropping a career-high 37 points. Without Ball, Williamson and Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams posted 12 points and rookie Kira Lewis Jr. recorded 10 points in a 111-106 loss.

Ball practiced in full with the team Monday and is on a new treatment and weight plan that includes more stretching, according to ESPN's Andrew Lopez. 

"It just got to a point where management came down and said take these next three games and get right and come back stronger," Ball said, via Lopez. "That's what I did, and I feel a lot better. I felt like we made the right decision as a whole."

Through nine games, Ball has averaged 12.4 points on 39.4 percent shooting, 4.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds.