Zion Williamson out for playoff play-in game vs. Kings

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson has been dominated out of the New Orleans Pelicans’ Western Convention play-in recreation towards the Sacramento Kings on Friday night time due to a left hamstring damage — and is anticipated to overlook as much as two weeks ought to New Orleans advance to the NBA playoffs.

The damage occurred with about three minutes remaining in a 110-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in New Orleans’ play-in match opener at dwelling on Tuesday night time. The membership introduced Wednesday that imaging confirmed he had a strained hamstring and that he could be re-evaluated in about two weeks.

Williamson’s standing is the most recent in a sequence of premature accidents throughout his first 5 NBA seasons and removes the Pelicans main scorer from their lineup for a do-or-die, play-in match finale that can resolve the eighth seed within the Western Convention playoffs.

Williamson scored 40 factors and grabbed 11 rebounds within the loss to the Lakers on Tuesday night time. However moments after changing a driving, game-tying layup over Lakers star Anthony Davis, the Pelicans star ahead was throwing a towel to the ground in disgust as he disappeared down a tunnel resulting in the locker room.

“That is an unlucky state of affairs,” Pelicans guard CJ McCollum mentioned. “He was having an excellent recreation. We’re getting down the stretch of a extremely vital recreation the place he’s dominating and leaving his imprint in all phases. And he finally ends up having to depart the sport early.

“I don’t know what occurred or the extent of it,” McCollum added. “Hopefully, he’s again quickly.”

Williamson, who missed most of his first 4 seasons due to a sequence of accidents to his knee, hand, foot and hamstring, lastly received by means of a daily season comparatively good well being in his fifth yr as a professional. He performed in 70 video games, main the 49-win Pelicans in scoring at 22.9 factors.

And for about 45 minutes on the sport clock on Tuesday night time, Williamson’s maiden postseason efficiency didn’t disappoint. He was discovering quite a few methods to get round Davis and LeBron James and create angles to showcase his deft contact across the rim.

Typically he used the glass, typically he tossed the ball straight in. He slammed down forceful dunks and sprinkled in some midrange photographs.

Within the ultimate seconds of the primary half, he sprinted practically the size of the court docket on the dribble earlier than hitting a contested floater off the glass as time expired.

For Pelicans veteran ahead Larry Nance Jr., Williamson’s efficiency exemplified why the previous Duke star was the consensus No. 1 choose within the 2019 NBA draft.

“That dude is unimaginable,” Nance mentioned. “My vocabulary is fairly expansive. I don’t have the phrases to explain his efficiency tonight and the way he’s shouldered us all season.”

James, in the meantime, predicted that Williamson is “going to be nice for a very long time.”

“He’s a generational participant, a generational expertise. He’s going to proceed to get higher and higher,” James mentioned. “Tonight was only a small microcosm of how nice he could be, his potential to get downhill, end vs. smalls, end vs. bigs, taller guys, shorter guys, doesn’t matter,” James mentioned. “One factor about him, he’s not afraid to compete. So, that’s an excellent factor. He’s a star.”

A star the Pelicans will now be with out with their season within the steadiness.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba