New Orleans Pelicans injury report (Dec. 7): Key role players could join Zion Williamson on sidelines

It's top against bottom as the New Orleans Pelicans will take on fellow conference rilvals, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Saturday at the Smoothie King Center, with coach Willie Green sweating over the fitness of two key players.

Injury struggles have defined much of the Pelicans' campaign. They catastrophically collapsed after just a few games into the season. Injuries to key players such as Zion Williamson, Jose Alvarado and Dejounte Murray (now back) dealt a sucker punch to the fans.

What might be most worrisome is that the team sorely lacks roster depth as the season progresses, highlighted by their current nine-game losing streak. They almost ended that run after a narrow 126-124 win against the Kevin Durant-less Phoenix Suns on Friday. Although Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum combined for 54 points, they can't always expect the two to bail them out, especially as they head into a demanding stretch of games this month.

The OKC Thunder, on the other hand, are high flying, topping the conference table with a 17-5 record. They will be feeling confident going into the game off the back of Wednesday’s 129-92 thrashing of the Toronto Raptors. In fact, they only lost once in their last seven games.

---

New Orleans Pelicans Injury Report: Daniel Theis and Karlo Matkovic iffy to play

The Pelicans are carrying a few knocks ahead of Saturday’s clash against the Thunder, with five players listed as out, including two key role players.

Centers Daniel Theis and Karlo Matkovic are both ruled out after being listed as questionable. Theis has been dealing with a neck issue and missed the Pelicans' last game despite not being listed on the injury report. Matkovic is managing back soreness.

Meanwhile, Jose Alvarado (hamstring), Jordan Hawkins (back), Zion Williamson (hamstring) remain out of the team as they continue to recover from injuries.

---

What to expect from New Orleans Pelicans vs OKC Thunder?

The two teams met earlier in the season, with the Thunder claiming a 106-88 win at Paycom Center.

Indeed, the Pelicans haven't performed well in their last five meetings against the Thunder, finding themselves on the winning side on just one occasion.

Coach Green will be feeling pressure to turn the tides as the team plummets to the bottom of the table. They can take some motivation from their victory against the Suns, but it will have to be a performance for the ages if they are to do the same against the top seed.