Is CJ McCollum playing tonight? Latest injury update for Pelicans vs. Nuggets

Tonight, the New Orleans Pelicans will face the Denver Nuggets in the mile high city. In the season's early stages, the Nuggets are 6-1 while the Pelicans are 4-2. However, the matchup should be interesting, as both teams will be missing key players.

CJ McCollum listed as 'out' for Nuggets game

In particular, CJ McCollum will not be available for tonight's game. The official injury report indicates that McCollum is out because of a partially collapsed right lung or a small pneumothorax. With Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III already out of the lineup, this is a tough additional blow for New Orleans.

This is the second time in two years that McCollum has had the same injury. In 2021, he missed nearly six seeks recovering and then regaining his fitness level to get back up to game speed.

As the Pelicans' second-leading scorer this season, McCollum averages 21.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 44 percent from the field. However, the situation isn't completely one-sided. Denver's rotations will also need to be doctored since Jamal Murray is also out tonight due to a right hamstring strain. 

With that said, don't panic Pelicans fans. Brandon Ingram is healthy. Hopefully Jordan Hawkins can show what he's made of with more minutes. Overall, tonight's game promises to be exciting, despite both teams dealing with the absence of key players.