Warriors center Andrew Bogut suffered a concussion after taking an arm to the head from Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham in the third quarter of their 111-95 season-opening win.
The hit also caused a cut above Bogut's right eye that required three stitches.
The 30-year-old Bogut made all six of his field goal attempts for 12 points to go with five rebounds and five assists in nearly 19 minutes. He left the game after he got injured and didn't return, according to Bleacher Report.
Bogut, who had already been wearing a face mask for a broken nose suffered during the preseason, won't return to action until he passes the NBA's concussion protocol. Cunningham also underwent a concussion test, which he cleared.
There was no announcement from the Warriors when Bogut is expected back, but he'll likely miss their games against the Rockets on Friday and with the Pelicans on Saturday.
Festus Ezeli is expected to step in at center for the Warriors during Bogut's absence. The team can also revert to their "small ball" lineup with Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes and Marreese Speights spending time at center and power forward.
However, Warriors interim coach Luke Walton acknowledged they're a much better team with Bogut on the floor.
The NBA.com revealed that the Warriors had a defensive rating of 95.2 when Bogut was playing, which is five points more than when Bogut is rding the bench.
The 7-footer has been hampered by injuries throughout his career. Last season, knee troubles caused him to miss 15 games. He was also sidelined for 15 games the season prior and played in just 44 games in 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
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