The Pelicans lost more than just the first game of the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday.
They are now dealing with an ailment to their star power forward, Zion Williamson.
In his first-ever NBA postseason game, Williamson had one of the best performances of his career with 40 points in a double-double effort but was forced to go to the locker room with under four minutes to go in the fourth quarter of what ended up as a Pelicans’ 110-106 loss to the Lakers.
Zion Williamson reacts after making a basket against Anthony Davis during the second half of the Pelicans’ 110-106 loss to the Lakers in their NBA play-in game. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConPelicans coach Willie Green told reporters after the game, according to ESPN, that Williamson was suffering from left leg soreness and will have imaging done Wednesday.
“This is an unfortunate situation,” Pelicans guard CJ McCollum said. “He was having a great game. We’re getting down the stretch of a highly important game where he’s dominating and leaving his imprint in all phases. And he ends up having to leave the game early.
“I don’t know what happened or the extent of it,” McCollum added. “Hopefully, he’s back soon.”
Williamson’s status was unclear heading into a do-or-die play-in finale against Sacramento on Friday night to the decide the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Williamson appeared to injure himself on his final basket of the game late in the fourth quarter when he was driving to the net.
He went up against the Lakers’ Anthony Davis in the paint and lobbed a shot that fell, but he immediately came up grimacing after the bucket.
The TNT broadcast caught Williamson sitting on the bench before getting up and slamming a towel down in frustration as he walked down the tunnel toward New Orleans’ locker room with a member of the team’s staff.
Zion Williamson gets medical attention during the first half of the Pelican’s loss to the Lakers. Stephen Lew-USA TODAY SportsTNT’s Allie LaForce reported on the broadcast, according to The Athletic, that Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin went back to check on Williamson.
It was surely a frustrating ending for Williamson, who put up the 40 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, had five assists and shot 17 of 27 from the field against the Lakers.
Williamson had several memorable moments, which included the Pelicans power forward stuffing LeBron James in the first half of the game.
With the loss, the Pelicans will need to beat the winner of the Kings-Warriors game to keep their postseason hopes alive.
— with AP
