Zion Williamson had New Orleans followers roaring and out of their seats as he burst down the lane on the dribble, ending a game-tying layup over Lakers star Anthony Davis.
Moments later, the Pelicans star ahead was throwing a towel to the ground in disgust as he disappeared down a tunnel resulting in the locker room.
Zion Williamson faces criticism from Stephen A. Smith, Pelicans counter with epic video response
Williamson’s highlight-filled, 40-point, 11-rebound displaying in his postseason debut led to a worrisome method for him and New Orleans on Tuesday evening. He missed the ultimate three minutes of a 110-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers within the Western Convention play-in match due to a left leg damage.
“That is an unlucky state of affairs,” Pelicans guard CJ McCollum stated. “He was having an ideal recreation. We’re getting down the stretch of a extremely necessary recreation the place he is dominating and leaving his imprint in all phases. And he finally ends up having to go away the sport early.
“I do not know what occurred or the extent of it,” McCollum added. “Hopefully, he is again quickly.”
Williamson was due for imaging on Wednesday and his standing was unclear heading right into a do-or-die play-in finale towards Sacramento on Friday evening to the resolve the eighth seed within the Western Convention playoffs.
Williamson, who missed most of his first 4 seasons due to a collection of accidents to his knee, hand, foot and hamstring, lastly received by means of an everyday season comparatively good well being in his fifth 12 months as a professional. He performed in 70 video games, main the 49-win Pelicans in scoring at 22.9 factors.
And for about 45 minutes on the sport clock on Tuesday evening, Williamson’s maiden postseason efficiency didn’t disappoint. He was discovering quite a few methods to get round Davis and LeBron James and create angles to showcase his deft contact across the rim.
Typically he used the glass, generally he tossed the ball straight in. He slammed down forceful dunks and sprinkled in some midrange photographs.
Within the closing seconds of the primary half, he sprinted practically the size of the court docket on the dribble earlier than hitting a contested floater off the glass as time expired.
For Pelicans veteran ahead Larry Nance Jr., Williamson’s efficiency exemplified why the previous Duke star was the consensus No. 1 decide within the 2019 NBA draft.
“That dude is unbelievable,” Nance stated. “My vocabulary is fairly expansive. I haven’t got the phrases to explain his efficiency tonight and the way he is shouldered us all season. So, you understand, hopefully, hopefully he is wholesome and, he can, we are able to get one thing comparable on Friday.”
James, in the meantime, predicted that Williamson is “going to be nice for a very long time.”
“He is a generational participant, a generational expertise. He’ll proceed to get higher and higher,” James stated. “Tonight was only a small microcosm of how nice he might be, his skill to get downhill, end vs. smalls, end vs. bigs, taller guys, shorter guys, does not matter,” James stated. “One factor about him, he isn’t afraid to compete. So, that is an ideal factor. He is a star.”
A star the Pelicans can solely hope to have on Friday with their season within the stability.
