Blazers' Batum to return Saturday vs. Pelicans

A wrist injury won't keep Nicolas Batum on the sidelines. 

The Portland Trail Blazers small forward will fight through pain and return for Saturday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. 

Batum, who missed Friday's win over the San Antonio Spurs, was reportedly in discomfort during warm-ups, but is determined to help Portland extend its winning streak to five games. 

"I'm not playing for me tonight, I'm playing for my team," Batum said. 

Batum has struggled this season, shooting career-worst percentages from the field (37.1 percent) and long range (23.3 percent) while averaging his fewest points per game (8.8) since his rookie year. But his ineffectiveness hasn't slowed down the Trail Blazers, who enter Saturday's contest with an eight-game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Northwest Division.