Matkovic (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Thunder.
Matkovic will miss Sunday's regular-season finale due to left hamstring soreness, and with the Pelicans dealing with a plethora of injuries, Kylor Kelley and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl should see a good chunk of playing time against the Thunder. With New Orleans eliminated from playoff contention, Matkovic will end the regular season averaging 7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 blocks in 18.8 minutes per game across 42 outings (seven starts).
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Not playing Friday
Rotowire
Matkovic (hamstring) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Heat.
Matkovic is working through a left hamstring injury, which is severe enough for him to be held out of Friday's contest. With Matkovic, Yves Missi (ankle) and Kelly Olynyk (Achilles) all out, Kylor Kelley and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl figure to see a large uptick in playing time in the Pelicans' penultimate game of the regular season.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Iffy for Friday
Rotowire
Matkovic is questionable for Friday's game against the Heat with left hamstring soreness.
Matkovic logged 30 minutes against the Bucks on Thursday, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds and one steal. However, he could be held out for injury maintenance Friday. If Matkovic is unable to go, there would be more minutes available for Kylor Kelley and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Starting sans Missi
Rotowire
Matkovic will start in Thursday's game against Milwaukee.
The big man will get the starting nod Thursday due to Yves Missi (ankle) being sidelined. Over his last 10 outings (one start), Matkovic has averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists across 20.2 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Efficient 17 points with full line
Rotowire
Matkovic notched 17 points (8-11 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal in 26 minutes during Tuesday's 119-114 loss to the Nets.
On top of filling the box score, Matkovic co-led the Pelicans in scoring alongside Antonio Reeves on Tuesday. The 2022 second-rounder has averaged 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.7 steals while shooting 62.5 percent from the field in 21.3 minutes across his last seven contests. Matkovic has notched double-digit points in each of these appearances.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Productive in 18 minutes
Rotowire
Matkovic recorded 11 points (5-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt), five rebounds, one assist and two blocks over 18 minutes during Sunday's 111-107 loss to Milwaukee.
Although his workloads have been modest, Matkovic has led the Pelicans in nine-category fantasy value over his last six appearances. In that stretch, Matkovic produced sixth-round value in 20.5 minutes with 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 blocks, 0.7 steals and 0.8 three-pointers on 60.4 percent shooting from the field.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Top rebounder in starting lineup
Rotowire
Matkovic contributed eight points (4-7 FG) and 11 rebounds across 16 minutes before fouling out of Sunday's 136-130 loss to the Pistons.
With Zion Williamson (back) and Yves Missi (hip) inactive, Matkovic earned the starting nod Sunday, leading all Pelicans in rebounds while finishing two points shy of a double-double in just 16 minutes. Matkovic tied a season high in rebounds, a mark he has tallied on three other occasions. He has recorded at least eight points and 10 boards in four outings.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Starting sans Williamson
Rotowire
Matkovic will start in Sunday's game against the Pistons.
The big man will enter the starting five due to Zion Williamson (back) being sidelined. Matkovic has made five starts this season, averaging 11.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 assists across 30.2 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Sliding to second unit Monday
Rotowire
Matkovic won't start in Monday's game against the Pistons.
The 23-year-old center will slide to the bench due to Yves Missi returning to game action. Matkovic has started in two of the club's last five outings, and he has averaged 11.8 points and 7.8 rebounds across 24.4 minutes per contest in that five-game span.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Double-doubles in spot start
Rotowire
Matkovic totaled 17 points (7-13 FG, 3-7 3Pt), 10 rebounds and one assist in 36 minutes during Thursday's 124-116 win over the Suns.
Matkovic stepped into a starting role Thursday due to the absence of Kelly Olynyk (rest) and thrived en route to his first double-double of the campaign. Even though Matkovic's upside is limited due to the nature of his bench role, he's been putting up solid numbers of late. He's scored in double digits in three of his last five appearances, averaging 9.5 points and 6.0 boards per contest since the beginning of February.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Starting sans Olynyk
Rotowire
Matkovic will enter the starting lineup in Thursday's game against the Suns.
The big man will receive the starting nod with Kelly Olynyk (rest) on the shelf. Over his last 10 outings (two starts), Matkovic has averaged 8.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 assists across 22.4 minutes per contest.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Season highs in win
Rotowire
Matkovic ended with 13 points (5-6 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals across 27 minutes during Thursday's 140-133 overtime victory over the Kings.
Matkovic stuffed the stat sheet while recording a season-high 13 points in the win. Moreover, the 23-year-old also tied his season highs in both blocks and steals. Over his last five outings (two starts), Matkovic has averaged 7.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks across 23.8 minutes per contest.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Goes to bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Matkovic is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Kings.
Zion Williamson is available for the Pelicans on Wednesday, pushing Matkovic to the bench. Matkovic has averaged 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 points, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals in 10.3 minutes over 13 games off the bench this season.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Good to go against Sacramento
Rotowire
Matkovic (illness) is available for Saturday's game versus the Kings.
Matkovic has been upgraded from questionable to available Saturday despite dealing with an illness. Matkovic is averaging 4.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16.8 minutes across his previous five appearances.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Nears double-double in spot start
Rotowire
Matkovic closed with 10 points (3-6 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), nine rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal in 30 minutes during Wednesday's 144-119 loss to the Nuggets.
The Pelicans pivoted from Javonte Green and experimented with Matkovic, who made his first career start in the NBA. Although Brandon Ingram had logged several absences before being traded away, his departure will force New Orleans to scour their lineup and investigate other starting combinations prior to the arrival of Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Fares well in loss
Rotowire
Matkovic finished Monday's 125-113 loss to the Nuggets with five points (1-5 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists and one block in 27 minutes.
The Pelicans were without Daniel Theis (thumb) for a second consecutive game, allowing Matkovic to play an extended role off the bench. He set career-high marks in rebounds (11) and assists (4), and his strong play could give the coaching staff something to think about going forward.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Plays garbage time in loss
Rotowire
Matkovic (back) recorded four points (2-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist and one steal while playing the final 6:01 of Wednesday's 119-100 loss to the Trail Blazers.
The rookie big man hadn't appeared in a game since Dec. 4 due to a low back disc protrusion, but after getting cleared to play early in the week, he saw action at the tail end of Wednesday's blowout loss, when most of the Pelicans' key players had checked out of the contest for good. Matkovic will likely continue to see most of his playing time in end-of-game scenarios while he remains with the Pelicans, though he could be assigned to the G League's Birmingham Squadron in the near future to get some more extensive minutes.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Available for Tuesday
Rotowire
Matkovic (back) is available for Tuesday's game against Minnesota.
Matkovic will be available for the first time since Dec. 4. He wasn't a consistent rotation player before his injury, however, and he's not guaranteed any minutes Tuesday.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Remains out
Rotowire
Matkovic (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Heat, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports.
Matkovic, who hasn't played since Dec. 4 due to low back disc protrusion, progressed to the return-to-competition conditioning phase of his rehab program before Christmas but remains week-to-week. Even when available, it's unlikely Matkovic has a role with the NBA squad and will likely return to action in the G League.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Won't play Sunday
Rotowire
Matkovic (back) is out for Sunday's game versus the Pacers.
Matkovic hasn't played for the Pelicans or the G League's Birmingham Squadron since Dec. 4, and his continued absence due to a bout with a low back disc protrusion won't affect New Orleans' rotation. His next chance to suit up will come Thursday versus Houston.
