The New Orleans Pelicans will host the Memphis Grizzlies for the final meeting between the two teams this season. The Memphis Grizzlies currently hold the edge in the series, winning two of the previous three matchups. Tonight, the Pelicans aim to even the score, but achieving that will require a standout performance from their superstar center, Zion Williamson.

Although the former No. 1 pick hasn’t turned out as New Orleans would’ve expected, he’s slowly trying to cement his place as a consistent starter in the last few weeks. So, will he be playing tonight against the Grizzlies?

Is Zion Williamson playing tonight against the Grizzlies?

The Pelicans enter this game coming off a close 104-95 loss against the OKC Thunder. While that defeat saw them drop to 12-37 for the season, there was a silver lining amid all of that. Zion Williamson had a strong 21-point night against the defending champions, something New Orleans will be hoping he can show more of when he takes the court tonight.

The 25-year-old is all set to suit up against the Grizzlies tonight. This is great news for the franchise, as despite missing several games throughout the season, when on the court, the big man has looked really strong.

So far, Zion is averaging 22.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. While these are not All-Star-level numbers, it’s still quite impressive for Zion Williamson, who’s going through a rough patch in his career for the past few years. Nonetheless, even with him back in the starting lineup, the Pelicans are still far from returning to full strength as they will be without a few players tonight.

The Pelicans vs the Grizzlies injury reports for January 30th

Here are all the latest updates on the rest of the players ahead of tonight’s huge matchup:

New Orleans Pelicans injury report

While Zion Williamson is all set to take part in tonight’s action, Dejounte Murray won’t be able to do so.

The Pelicans’ star guard has suffered an Achilles injury, because of which he won’t be seeing the court anytime soon, including tonight’s game. Of course, this is a bummer for New Orleans, as Murray is a key figure on their roster.

In the 31 games he played before suffering this injury last season, the 29-year-old averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. This stat line should give you a clear idea of how important he is to this team. Nonetheless, the good news is that, according to Pelicans head coach James Borrego, Murray is “making a lot of progress,” indicating he is on the right trajectory.

“We hope to get him back in our building here soon. He’s doing a lot of work getting ready to get back here,” Borrego said of Murray. “I say in the next month we’ll have a bit more clarity on where he’s at. But he’s made a lot of progress. Significant progress.” So, even though it’s hard to believe that he’ll return to the court this season, we can expect Murray to be back before the next campaign.

Memphis Grizzlies injury report

As for the Grizzlies, they have their fair share of injury trouble as well. Tonight, they will be without several of their key players, including Spanish forward Santi Aldama and their backup point guard, Scotty Pippen Jr., both of whom are dealing with serious blows. While Aldama is out with a knee injury, Pippen Jr. will miss this game because of a toe injury.

However, Memphis’ issues don’t end with them. That’s because Ja Morant is also on the sidelines with an elbow injury. Although the two-time All-Star guard hasn’t been at his best this season, still not having him will be a huge miss for the franchise. Meanwhile, Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke are also ruled out for this clash.

The second-year center continues to recover from a stress reaction in his left ankle and won’t be playing tonight. On the other hand, Clarke has suffered a Grade 2 calf strain that will keep him on the sidelines for this game. Having said that, will these injuries force Memphis to make changes to its starting lineup? Let’s find out.

Predicted lineups for the Pelicans vs the Grizzlies

Here’s how the New Orleans Pelicans could start with Zion Williamson:

And here’s how the Memphis Grizzlies could lineup amid their injury issues:

So, here’s how both teams could start, and by the looks of things, this should be an interesting game, as we all eagerly await tonight’s tip-off inside the Smoothie King Center in Louisiana.