Report: Zion out for Kings-Pelicans play-in tournament game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The New Orleans Pelicans will be without their best player for Friday’s NBA Play-In Tournament game against the Sacramento Kings at the Smoothie King Center.
Zion Williamson, who suffered a left hamstring injury in the Pelicans’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in New Orleans, will miss Friday’s win-or-go-home game against the Kings, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday, citing to sources.
ESPN Sources: Pelicans F Zion Williamson’s (left hamstring) has been ruled out for Friday’s Play-In Tournament elimination game against Sacramento and will be reevaluated in the coming weeks. Big blow for New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/rMc1IC2RtY
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 17, 2024
Williamson scored 40 points with 11 rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes against the Lakers before suffering the hamstring injury with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Sacramento struggled mightily against New Orleans this season, losing all five regular-season games. Williamson played in four of those matchups and averaged 23 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists against the Kings.
After knocking the Golden State Warriors out of the postseason with a 118-94 win over their Northern California rival on Tuesday at the Golden 1 Center, Sacramento now travels to New Orleans to take on a Pelicans team without the best player hoping to secure a spot. in the NBA playoffs as the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed.
