The New Orleans Pelicans secured a playoff spot with the recent 105-98 Play-in Tournament win against the Sacramento Kings. The victory made Shaquille O’Neal eat up his ‘Zion Williamson take’ after the franchise exceeded his expectations. Shaq owned up to his mistake by later apologizing to the roster’s number two, Brandon Ingram.
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The scenario spurred from a bold declaration from the 4x champion following the Pelicans’ 106-110 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers. The clash highlighted the shortcomings of the roster while capturing their dependency on talisman, Williamson. Zion incurring a left hamstring injury in the game seemingly diminished their chances of progressing into the playoffs.
Charles Barkley initially outlined precisely that during the Lakers-Pelicans post-game discussion on NBA on TNT. The sports analyst openly backed the Kigns to secure the 8th seed from the West, dismissing the Pelicans’ hopes for qualification. Shaq joined his co-panelist soon after, declaring,
“If he [Zion Williamson] not playing against Sacramento, they might not have a chance”.
Later, it was announced that Williamson would be out for the game. This provided an opportunity for Shaq to double down on his take, and so he did. During the pre-game discussion of the Pelicans-Kings clash, he announced,
“Y’all ain’t got Zion. Y’all are cooked. So I’m going with Sacramento tonight”.
However, the game unfolded in an unanticipated fashion. Despite trailing by two points in the first quarter, the Pelicans finished the half strongly with a 54-45 scoreline. They held on to the lead till the end of the game to eventually secure a playoff spot after two years. In the absence of Williamson, Ingram stepped up to register 24 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds, as per StatMuse, to inspire the crucial victory.
As a result, the stern prediction from Shaq backfired immensely. The 2000 MVP took accountability for his comments by apologizing to the Pelicans after the conclusion of the game. During a post-game interview with Ingram, he stated,
“I owe you guys an apology”.
On one hand, it showcased the team strength of the Pelicans as Ingram highlighted the impact of communication in their win. On the other hand, it displayed the sportsmanship of Shaq, adding volume to his iconic status. All in all, these situations pave the way for an exciting postseason with the playoffs now knocking on the door.
