Omri Casspi went to strip the ball from Rockets guard Eric Gordon and heard a crack. An X-ray soon revealed that Casspi, who scored 12 points before leaving his Pelicans debut midway through the fourth quarter, had broken his right thumb. Two days later, on Feb. 25, he was waived. Casspi's stint in New Orleans had lasted 24 minutes. A rotation player for seven-plus NBA seasons, his career was suddenly on life support. "To go to New Orleans, play well in my first game, then break my thumb, it was just frustrating," Casspi recalled after Warriors practice Sunday afternoon. "But hey, everything happens for a reason. I'm glad I'm here now.