Whenever he’s healthy and on the floor, Zion Williamson is undoubtedly the best player on the New Orleans Pelicans’ lineup. But after going down with a hamstring injury in a Play-In Tournament game, the All-Star forward has been absent from his team’s first round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Before he went down, Williamson made jaws drop when he and the Pelicans fought the Lakers for a playoff spot. During that Play-In game, Los Angeles went home the victor with a score of 110-106. Even with a 30 percent success rate from the field, LeBron James still finished the contest with 23 points and nine assists. Anthony Davis dropped 20 points and 15 rebounds, while D’Angelo Russell added 21 points and six assists.
For his part, Williamson turned heads when the Pelicans All-Star tallied 40 points on 63 percent shooting from the field. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and made five assists in 36 minutes on the floor. Unfortunately, he had to leave before the game ended due to a hamstring injury. Williamson hasn’t made it back to action, especially now that NOLA is trailing behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder in their playoff series.
Without Williamson, the Pels are in a tight spot against the number one seed in the Western Conference. Add Brandon Ingram’s poor shooting to the mix, and the team might face an early elimination in the postseason.
New Orleans Pelicans Star Zion Williamson Gets Real On his Injury Status and Playoff Return
For NOLA to go far in the playoffs, they will need Williamson healthy and active on the court. According to him, though, there’s a chance he makes it soon, as seen in a video clip shared by ClutchPoints on X:
“That is absolutely realistic, but like I said I have to pass tests.”
Zion Williamson on the possibility of him returning this postseason 🗣️
(via @jarrettreed_) pic.twitter.com/3mL9R0ng9b
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 23, 2024
Williamson has constantly battled injuries ever since he entered the league as the Pel’s top pick in 2019. This season, though, is the first season when the young star has played more than 65 games in his career.
It remans to be seen whether Williamson will make it back in time or not. If he does, expect the Pelicans to turn the tide in their favor against the Thunder in their playoff series and make it harder for the SGA-led squad to advance to the next round.
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