6 years agoNew Orleans Pelicans point guard Elfrid Payton will return from his nine-game absence when he faces off with the New York Knicks on Friday. A right ankle sprain has kept the Pelicans’ point guard on the shelf, limiting him to just five games so far on the season. Head coach Alvin Gentry wanted to wait until pre-game warmups before making a final call on Payton. Tread lightly when it comes to deploying him in his first game back, although Payton has shown reason for optimism in the high-octane New Orleans offense, scoring in double figures in each of his four games and posting a triple-double during the team’s season-opener.--Jesse Borek
Source: Andrew Lopez