Zion Williamson was having the best night of his career at the NBA Play-In Tournament. It wasn't just because the New Orleans Pelicans lost, it was a bad result.
The All-Star forward left the Pelicans' 110-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with an apparent leg injury, leaving the game in the final minutes of a 40-point performance. Pelicans head coach Willie Green explained the issue this way:left leg pain'' he told reporters after the game.
This was later reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania. Williamson is believed to have suffered a hamstring injury.
Williamson is scheduled to undergo imaging tests on Wednesday, two days before the Pelicans' second play-in game against the Sacramento Kings, who defeated the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
The injury occurred during Williamson's layup against Anthony Davis, after which Williamson limped up and was asked to leave the game. On his way from the bench to the locker room, he was clearly frustrated and slammed his towel on the court.
TNT later reported that Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin had gone to the locker room, underscoring the seriousness of the injury.
Williamson's impressive postseason debut was marred by injury. Williamson led the Pelicans with an 18-point comeback late in the fourth quarter to tie the game. On a night when the Pelicans' shooting was tepid, going 9-of-30 from deep, his aggressiveness in the paint was a huge boost against a Lakers team accustomed to controlling the paint. did.
Williamson made 17 of 27 from the field, accounting for 44.7% of the Pelicans' 38 attempts before leaving the game.
The Pelicans hung around after the injury, but the momentum clearly shifted as soon as Williamson arrived in the locker room. It was a tough development for a player who has dealt with injury issues throughout his five-year NBA career. He played in a career-high 70 games this season, but ended up having to miss the most significant minutes of the team's season thus far.
The loss sends New Orleans to the final play-in game against the West, where they will host the Kings for the No. 8 seed and a series against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
As for the Lakers, they have secured their spot as the No. 7 seed and are scheduled for a rematch with the Denver Nuggets.
