Larry Nance Jr. Immediately Regretted Saying He Was 'Betting' on Pelicans vs. Thunder

Mike McDaniel | Apr 20, 2024

Feb 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) during / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans won Friday night's elimination game in the West play-in with a 105-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

The victory set up the No. 8 seed Pelicans with a first round date against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.

Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. was asked in the postgame about how he feels facing the No. 1 seed in the West. Let's just say he immediately regretted his choice of words.

"Respectfully, I'm just ... I'm betting on the Pels," Nance said.

Nance quickly walked back his wording in the wake of the Jontay Porter betting saga that gripped the league this week. What he said next had the entire press corps erupting in laughter.

"I'm not betting. No Jontay Porter. I'm not betting. I'm not betting on anything. I don't own a betting app, none of that!" Nance exclaimed.

Larry Nance Jr. on the upcoming OKC-NOP series:

"Respectfully, I'm betting on the Pels. I'm not BETTING, no Jontay Porter. I'm not BETTING. I'm not betting on anything. I don't own a betting app, none of that."🤣pic.twitter.com/TNGdVR5rlm

— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) April 20, 2024

Nance and the Pelicans will certainly be up against it in the franchise's first round series, especially without star forward Zion Williamson, who is out with a strained hamstring suffered in the team's first play-in game against the Lakers earlier this week.

Game 1 between the Pelicans and Thunder tips off at 9:30 pm ET on Sunday.