Pelicans Vs Suns: O'Neale Questionable, Final Injury Report and Game Notes
The Pelicans Vs Suns meeting carries fresh injury developments that could shape Friday's matchup: Royce O'Neale is listed as questionable with right foot soreness while New Orleans reports no injuries after a road win, and the game tips off at 7: 00 p. m. ET.
Pelicans Vs Suns injury picture
Royce O'Neale is questionable for Phoenix due to right foot soreness. He started and played 18 minutes in the Suns' loss to Chicago but exited with 6: 41 remaining in the third quarter and did not return. Phoenix's injury list also includes Mark Williams (left foot third metatarsal; stress reaction), Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) and Jordan Goodwin (left calf strain), with Williams ruled out and the other two listed as out.
Key player availability for Phoenix
O'Neale has been a consistent presence this season, one of two Phoenix players to appear in all 62 games and making 57 starts while averaging 9. 9 points, 4. 9 rebounds and 2. 8 assists. With Williams sidelined for multiple weeks — the injury described as a left foot third metatarsal stress reaction — the Suns are leaning on depth pieces; Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach were noted for increased minutes in the most recent game. Separately, an off-court incident occurred when Dillon Brooks was arrested for suspicion of DUI in Scottsdale early Friday morning.
Pelicans status, recent form and matchup notes
New Orleans has a clean injury report and arrives after a 133-123 road victory in Sacramento. In that game Zion Williamson had 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Trey Murphy III added 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The Pelicans are winners of five of their past seven games and will also get Dejounte Murray back after he missed the prior game while continuing return-to-competition reconditioning from a torn Achilles.
What to watch and forward look
Phoenix has won all three prior head-to-head meetings this season by scores of 121-98, 115-108 and 123-114, but the Suns enter coming off a loss that ended a short winning run. If O'Neale is unavailable, Phoenix will likely need other wing defenders and rotation players to cover his minutes; with Mark Williams out, frontcourt rotation minutes have already shifted to younger options. For New Orleans, keeping Williamson and Murphy III productive on a back-to-back stretch and integrating Murray's return will be central to sustaining the recent winning form.
- Key timing: Game tips off at 7: 00 p. m. ET.
- Availability notes: Pelicans list no injuries; Suns list multiple players questionable or out.
Uncertainties remain about final game-time clearance for questionable players; those statuses were not publicly confirmed beyond the listed injury report entries. The matchup outcome will hinge on Phoenix's ability to cover lost minutes and New Orleans' capacity to carry momentum from its recent road win.
