Pelicans Injury Report vs. Heat: New Orleans Has Health Advantage Over Miami

The New Orleans Pelicans continue to be healthy as the rest of the NBA deals with long injury lists.

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The New Orleans Pelicans are 5-4 in their last nine games and have won two in a row. With another beatable opponent in the Miami Heat coming to town for their last game before the All-Star break, the Pelicans have an excellent opportunity to extend their winning streak and build momentum for the final stretch of the season.

A big reason for the Pelicans' recent surge has been their health. While the rest of the NBA is dealing with significant injury concerns before the break, the Pelicans had the fortune of having all of their best players available. As a result, the new Herb Jones-Trey Murphy-Saddiq Bey-Zion Williamson-Derik Queen starting lineup has helped turn the Pels into a more competitive team in recent weeks.

Pelicans All Healthy Except for Dejounte Murray vs. Heat on Wednesday

This will, fortunately, continue on Wednesday, as the Pelicans have a largely clean bill of health against Miami. Dejounte Murray remains out as he is continuing his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered last year. Other than Murray, however, the Pelicans don't list any player out for the game. Only rookie Micah Peavy is questionable with a right toe sprain, and his status will be determined closer to game time.

Pelicans fans hope that Murray is inching towards a return. He returned to practice with the team last week and had teased a return at some point in February. It remains a possibility that he will be available in New Orleans' first game back from the break on February 20.

Unlike the Pelicans, the Heat are dealing with an extensive list of absences. Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, and Pelle Larsson will all miss Wednesday's game with various injuries. Andrew Wiggins is questionable with a toe injury. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, Nikola Jovic, and Dru Smith, on the other hand, will be available despite appearing on the injury report earlier.

In the first game of the season between the Heat and the Pelicans, Miami emerged victorious, but things haven't been going well for the Heat lately. At 28-27, the Heat haven't been able to separate themselves from the rest of the play-in race, hovering around .500 all season. Despite the Utah Jazz's best efforts to lose the game on Monday (sitting their best players in the fourth quarter), Miami wasn't able to secure the win.

Miami will not want to enter the All-Star break having lost back-to-back games to Utah and New Orleans, giving them extra motivation and setting up a well-contested clash between the two teams.