mobile app bar

“Give the Ball to Zion Williamson and Get the F**k Out”: CJ McCollum Reveals the Pels’ Play Down the Stretch as 6ft 6’ Star Records 43 Points

Advait Jajodia
Published

“Give the Ball to Zion Williamson and Get the F**k Out of the Way”: CJ McCollum Reveals the Pels’ Play Down the Stretch as 6ft 6’ Star Records 43 Points

After having missed 3 straight games due to being placed in the league’s health & safety protocols, Zion Williamson had quite the comeback.

Leading the Pelicans to their 4th consecutive win, the All-Star had a career-high night. In merely 33:57 minutes of play, the 6-foot-6 forward stuffed the stat sheet – 43 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and a block on 66.7/100/73.7 shooting splits.

Scoring the last 14 points of the clash, Zanos led NOLA to mount a successful come-from-the-back 119-118 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Also Read: When Charles Barkley ‘Shamed’ 1996 Olympic Team

CJ McCollum hilariously reveals the Pelicans’ play call during the dying minutes of the game

With an in-form Zion on the floor, the Pels handed him the ball and let him play iso which resulted in buckets being scored or his trips to the charity stripe.

In the postgame interview, CJ McCollum hilariously disclosed Wille Green and co.’s late game play calls. CJ, who had a solid 20-point performance, spoke about the former Duke Blue Devil being allowed so many iso plays:

“We really had diverse play calling down the stretch. Give the ball to Z and get the fuck out of the way.”

After recording the most points in one game in his young career, the 284-pound forward spoke about having a mentality of a winner. Revealing that he watched films of many “old-school players”, the 22-year-old said that he wanted to be known as a winner. Zion further said:

“I watch a lot of old-school players,” Williamson said. “I like to figure out their mindsets. All their mindsets were the same. People remember winners. Whenever the time comes for me to be done with the game of basketball, I want people to say, ‘He was a winner.’”

“I think Zion Williamson is the MVP of our league”: Trey Murphy III

After a sensational outing, Z’s teammates were extremely starstruck. Trey Murphy III, who himself had an incredible 21/3/4 night, lauded the forward. Deeming Williamson as his MVP, Murphy III further complimented:

“He’s a superstar, man. Like I said on the radio interview, I think he’s the MVP of our league. We’re one of the best teams in the West, he’s leading us, he put up 43 on 21 shots. He’s different, man. I have never seen anything like this and I’m just grateful to be his teammate.”

Zion has been playing some of the best basketball in NOLA history. Averaging 25.8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, the southpaw might not be the frontrunner for the MVP honors. However, Zion will definitely get called up for his 2nd All-Star Game, and possibly even witness a first All-NBA selection.

Also Read: Skip Bayless Shockingly Rates the Mavs MVP’s 60/21/10 Unreal Performance an 8

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

x-iconinstagram-iconlinkedin-icon

Advait Jajodia, a seasoned NBA journalist, has had a passion for the game for over a decade. His journey from admiring Kobe Bryant's precision to being in awe of Stephen Curry's long-range mastery instilled a profound understanding of basketball. With a background as a two-time National-level player, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 21-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 3,350+ articles.

Read more from Advait Jajodia

Share this article