Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Returns with 25 points, nine boards

Valanciunas (COVID-19 health and safety protocols) finished Monday's loss to Utah with 25 points (9-18 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and two turnovers in 30 minutes.

After a brief stint in protocols that kept him out of Saturday's loss to Milwaukee, Valanciunas returned to action and was back at his usual center spot. While he failed to notch a double-double for just the second time in his last 10 appearances, Valanciunas had a strong overall game, pacing the team in scoring on a night when Brandon Ingram had just 10 points on 3-of-18 shooting. Valanciunas drilled multiple three-pointers for the first time since his 39-point, 7-of-8-from-three outburst against the Clippers back on Nov. 29.