The Pelicans lost more than just the first game of the NBA play-in tournament on Tuesday.
They are now dealing with an illness in their star forward, Zion Williamson.
In his first-ever NBA playoff game, Williamson had one of the best performances of his career with 40 points in a double-double, but was forced to go to the locker room with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter time. like the Pelicans’ 110-106 loss to the Lakers.
Pelicans coach Willie Green told reporters after the game: according to ESPNthat Williamson was suffering from left leg soreness and would undergo imaging Wednesday.
Williamson appeared to be injured on his final basket of the game late in the fourth quarter as he drove toward the net.
He ran into the Lakers’ Anthony Davis in the paint and launched a shot that fell, but he immediately came back grimacing after the bucket.
The TNT broadcast caught Williamson sitting on the bench before standing up and smacking a towel in frustration as he walked down the tunnel toward the New Orleans locker room with a member of the team’s staff.
TNT’s Allie LaForce reported on the show, according to The Athletic, that Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin returned to see Williamson.
It was surely a frustrating ending for Williamson, who had 40 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, had five assists and made 17 of 27 shots from the field against the Lakers.
Williamson had several memorable moments, including Pelicans forward stuff LeBron James in the first half of the match.
With this loss, the Pelicans will need to beat the winner of the Kings-Warriors game to keep their playoff hopes alive.
New York Post
