Zion Williamson had one of the best nights of his career in the NBA play-in tournament. It ended badly, and not just because the New Orleans Pelicans lost.
The All-Star forward left the Pelicans’ 110-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with an apparent leg injury, departing in the final minutes of a 40-point performance. Pelicans head coach Willie Green described the problem as “pain in the left legto reporters after the game.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania later reported this Williamson is said to have suffered a hamstring injury.
Williamson will undergo imaging Wednesday, two days before the Pelicans’ second play-in game against the Sacramento Kings, who defeated the Golden Sate Warriors on Tuesday.
The injury occurred during a layup by Williamson against Anthony Davis, after which Williamson limped off and requested to be removed from the game. He was visibly frustrated as he walked from the bench to the locker room and threw a towel on the field.
The TNT broadcast later reported that Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin had moved into the locker room, underscoring the severity of the injury.
The injury ruined a fantastic postseason debut for Williamson, who led the Pelicans on an 18-point comeback to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. On a night where the Pelicans’ shooting had gone cold, shooting 9-of-30 from deep, his aggression in the paint really showed up against a Lakers team used to controlling the paint.
Williamson shot 17 of 27 from the field, accounting for 44.7% of the Pelicans’ 38 goals before leaving the game.
The Pelicans hung around after the injury, but the momentum clearly changed once Williamson reached the locker room. It was a tough turn for a player who has dealt with injuries throughout his five-year NBA career. He played a career-high 70 games this season, but ultimately missed the most important minutes of his team’s season so far.
The loss sends New Orleans heading to the final West play-in game, where they will host the Kings for a chance at clinching the 8th seed and a series against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
As for the Lakers, they locked themselves in as the No. 7 seed, with a rematch against the Denver Nuggets on the cards.
