METAIRE, La. -- Reinforcements are on the horizon for the New Orleans Pelicans.Jrue Holiday will return to practice Thursday and play in his first game of the season Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. The veteran point guard is expected to arrive in New Orleans on Tuesday and will not make the trip to Orlando for the matchup Wednesday with the Orlando Magic.Holiday, 26, has been away from the team the whole season in order to tend to his wife , USWNT soccer star Lauren Holiday, who is recovering from the birth of the couples first child and surgery to remove a benign tumor from the right side of her brain.We love the Holidays, Pelicans general manager Dell Demps said. Lauren and Jrue, and JT is their daughter -- everybody cant wait to meet her. Hes just a great person.Just bringing him back and getting him back with the group, from a social standpoint, [is] first. From a basketball standpoint, we dont want to put pressure on him and make him feel like hes the savior. [Its] going to be a transition for him coming back, getting all the kinks out. But we hope to expedite that transition.Tyreke Evans also returned to non-contact activity at practice Tuesday after missing the past nine months in recovery from a third right knee procedure in the span of nine months.Its just good news for them both coming back, Pelicans star Anthony Davis said. Its good for us that two key components to our team that were able to get back really soon. Its good for everybody. Well try to get this thing going.Demps said Evans is in great shape, but there is no timetable for his return to game action.It will all be based on how his rehab goes in the next days, week, he said.Demps said Holiday, who was limited to a combined 74 games in his first two seasons in New Orleans because of right leg injuries, is 100 percent healthy and has maintained his conditioning with the help of a Pelicans assistant and a strength and conditioning coach.The last-place Pelicans (2-9) expect a gradual return for Holiday as he acclimates to an NBA schedule.Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said Holidays role, including whether or not he will start immediately, has not yet been determined.I just know we wont play him 35 minutes the first game back, Gentry said. Were not going to do anything like that. I think weve got to be smart about it. Hes been working out twice a day. Hes in great shape. Theres a big difference in being in great shape and being in basketball shape. We just have to make sure he gets to basketball shape.Jrue is very good offensively and very good defensively, Davis said. Hes going to bring that passion, that energy, that fight. Its going to be good to have him back on the floor for us, to have Jrue being Jrue. It will probably take him a couple games to get back [to his old self], but as long as hes on the floor.Demps said Evans initial range following an osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS) procedure in February to replace cartilage in three areas of his knee was 8-10 months.Quincy Pondexter, who missed all of last season following two left knee surgeries, remains out.With Quincy, we should get a better understanding if not the end of this week then the beginning of next week, Demps said. And then well hopefully get him back on the court. Womens Nationals Jerseys . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Cheap Nationals Jerseys . 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Speculate no more: Michael Hurley will be at Essendon for the next six AFL seasons.Essendon have emphatically ended talk of the All-Australian defender leaving the club by signing him up on a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $800,000 a season.In doing so, the Bombers have announced themselves as finals aspirants - and more - for 2017.Just hours after coach John Worsfold said he couldnt even arrange a coffee with Hurley, the club announced the 26-year-old came to an agreement after arriving home from an overseas holiday.Hurley said he felt at home at the club, and excited about the progress they have made under Worsfold this season.I took the time I needed to come to this decision, and to be honest I couldnt see my future anywhere other than Essendon, Hurley said in a statement on Thursday afternoon.What became clear was my strong bond with the playing group, I have some really great mates at the club, weve made a lot of progress and I want to achieve success alongside them.John has had a huge impact in a short period of time and Im looking forward to playing under him next season and beyond.Earlier on Thursday, Worsfold told reporters he was only fairly confident that Hurley would re-sign after weeks of speculation that the in-demand defender could find a new AFL home.I sent him a messaage the other day, Worsfold said.dddddddddddd thought he was overseas because he hadnt responded yet ... Im hoping to hear from him and organise a time to catch up fairly soon.We all know the situation has been extraordinary so hes had to weigh all that up.Three hours later, Hurley signed on the dotted line.A club spokesman said negotiations were taking place between the club and the players management, without Worsfold.Whatever the funny business, the Bombers are delighted to secure a player crucial to their long-term future, even if theyve had to pay through the nose for him.Bombers chief executive Xavier Campbell said the club always believed they would retain his services.Weve always felt confident Michael would remain at the club due to the positive discussions we had with him and his management, and Im sure our members will be thrilled to see him don the sash again in 2017, he said.Eight of the dozen banned Bombers - Dyson Heppell, Tom Bellchambers, Cale Hooker, Heath Hocking, Travis Colyer, David Myers, Brent Stanton and Hurley - have now re-committed to Essendon.Four - Jobe Watson, Michael Hibberd, Ben Howlett and Tayte Pears - are yet to agree new deals to stay. 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