METAIRIE, La. (AP) Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas has entered the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols, coach Willie Green said Friday. Valanciunas’ status effectively rules him out for the Pelicans’ next game at Milwaukee on Saturday night. The development comes at a time when the Pelicans are trying to gather some momentum for a potential push to climb back into contention for one of the Western Conference play-in spots after a 1-12 start to the season.
