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Andrew LopezESPN
New Orleans Pelicans‘ guard Josh Hart suffered a torn UCL in his right thumb in Thursday’s game, the team announced Friday evening.
While the team said a timetable for Hart’s return will be announced at a later date, a source told ESPN Hart is expected to miss significant time because of the injury. Hart underwent an MRI on Friday to confirm the tear.
Hart injured his thumb in Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic and was seen grabbing at his thumb throughout the fourth quarter and overtime. When Hart spoke to the media post game, his thumb was heavily wrapped.
Hart has been a major contributor off the bench for the Pelicans this season averaging 9.2 points and 8.0 rebounds a game.
Hart is one of only three players in the NBA this season listed at 6-foot-5 or shorter to average that many rebounds per game joining Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
Even with the thumb injury, Hart managed to tie his career high in rebounds against the Magic with 17.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, Hart is the only player with multiple 15-point, 15-rebound games off the bench this season. All other players in Pelicans’ franchise history have two such games combined.
Hart is one of several Pelicans who will miss Friday night’s contest against the Atlanta Hawks. Zion Williamson (right thumb sprain), Brandon Ingram (right first MTP irritation) and Lonzo Ball (right hip flexor strain) were previously ruled out and the Pelicans added center Steven Adams (right ankle sprain) to the injury list just over an hour before tip off.
That means New Orleans will be without its top three scorers (Williamson, Ingram, Ball) and five of its top six rebounders against the Hawks.