With the NBA regular season winding down, every game is crucial for teams trying to secure a spot in the playoffs. On Wednesday that includes a key game between Indiana and Boston and both teams try to stay in the chase for the No. 8 seed in the East.
New Orleans Pelicans big man Ryan Anderson plans to play Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing the past 18 games with a sprained knee, reports Jennifer Hale of Fox Sports.
"I feel ready to go," Anderson told Hale.
The 26-year-old sharpshooter has been sidelined since Feb. 21, when he suffered the injury during a game against the Miami Heat. Mario Chalmers accidentally stepped on Anderson's ankle, causing his knee to buckle and the subsequent injury.
In making the push to return to the court, Anderson has been putting in extra practice time recently and participated in a full-contact scrimmage Tuesday. The Pelicans badly need him back as they try to catch up with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. New Orleans is currently 2½ games behind OKC with just nine games left on the schedule.
Anderson was playing well coming off the bench before the injury. In 52 games, he averaged 14.6 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 34 percent from three. His numbers are down across the board this season, with that three-point mark representing a career low, but he also saw a major minutes reduction from 36 per game to fewer than 29. He reportedly won't have a minutes limit when he returns.
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