Tyreke Evans returns to the Pelicans starting lineup tonight in Charlotte after battling nausea associated with one of the oddest injuries of the season, an accidental bite from Eric Bledsoe.
Evans' left arm, just near the elbow, collided with Bledsoe's mouth during a Dec. 30 matchup with the Phoenix Suns.
"I touched the ball as it was going out of bounds," Evans said. "After the play, AD looked at me like 'What were you thinking?' I told him that I couldn't help it. My arm flinched when I got bit, and I accidentally hit the ball."
The bite, also accidental, cut Evans deeply enough to draw blood. The bite mark is still visible.
"The doctor gave me some medicine â a real strong antibiotic to keep it from getting infected," Evans said before Wednesday's game against the Hornets tipped off. "It had me throwing up, real nauseous. I came off of it and did an antibiotic IV instead."
Now the bite mark is healing, but Evans is still fighting through the negative effects of the original antibiotic.
"I'm still feeling a little down, a little queasy," Evans said. "But I'm ok. I'm happy to be out there with the team, our full team. Hopefully we can get on a roll now."
Evans played through the ill side effects of the original medication Monday versus the Washington Wizards, although he came off the bench after missing morning shoot around. Evans put in 33 minutes and tied Davis for the team lead in scoring with 21 points.
"I grew up the youngest of five brothers," Evans said. "They made me tough. I had to keep up. They taught me to how to be a winner."
