Despite having the advantage of more free throws, the New Orleans Pelicans still lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers on their own home court. For Zion Williamson, though, there’s a reason why free throw attempts are down across the league.
In that particular game, the Cavaliers dominated New Orleans by getting the 116-95 win over them. Darius Garland led the Wine and Gold with 27 points and 11 assists, while Jarrett Allen added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell had an off-night with only 14 points on 31 percent shooting from the field.

The Pelicans, on the other hand, struggled on offense, especially when it came to their shooting from deep at only 18 percent throughout the whole game. Williamson led his team with 33 points and nine rebounds, while Brandon Ingram added 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Even with that loss, the Pels still managed to hold on the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 39-25 record. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are third in the East with 41 wins and 24 losses.
New Orleans Pelicans Star Zion Williamson Jokingly Calls Reporter a Liar for Asking a Deceptive Question

After the game, the Pelicans’ All-Star spoke to the media and was asked about why free throw attempts are down across the league. In response, the Pels forward jokingly called the reporter who asked him a liar in a video shared by Pelicans Film Room on X:
“Wow, you’re a liar, you’re trying to get me in trouble. If I had to take a guess, they’re getting ready for playoffs… They say in the playoffs a lot of those calls, people aren’t gonna get.”
— Zion Williamson on the decrease in FT attempts across the league pic.twitter.com/A1DxxfsU8n
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) March 14, 2024
At this point in time, the Pelicans are among the top NBA teams when it comes to free throw attempts. Both Williamson and Ingram average almost 12 attempts at the charity stripe per game. In comparison, everyone else on the roster averages three tries or less.

With the playoffs approaching, Williamson and the Pelicans will have to adjust to a more intense defense from the team’s they may face. In any case, it’d be interesting to see whether their free throws will be maintained, or go down in the postseason soon.

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