New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson was in his element on Friday against the San Antonio Spurs, as he led his team to a thrilling 114-113 victory. The forward scored 33 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished four assists in his team’s narrow win on the road.
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With less than eight seconds left in the game, the Pelicans trailed by one. After getting a defensive stop, they ran a fast break and Williamson hammered the ball into the basket despite three Spurs players’ attempts to stop him from securing the win for his team.
Williamson was balling on the court and off of it as well. He was seen sporting a Percy Miller t-shirt, better known by his alias, Master P. The 23-year-old was also wearing a massive diamond cross around his neck. During the post-game press conference, Williamson was asked about his fit, and he responded,
“The cross for me is I only fear God, I don’t fear nothing else… The shirt, just repping NOLA. Gotta show my appreciation to some of the legends that came through town.”
Williamson certainly wasn’t fearful when he was tasked with scoring the game-winning bucket while surrounded by two Spurs players and Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s leader in blocks, chasing him down at full speed. His stellar finish in the game’s dying moments and overall performance helped the Pelicans avoid a fourth defeat in five games.
They remain seventh in the Western Conference standings, one game behind the fifth-placed Sacramento Kings and with the same record as the sixth-placed Phoenix Suns. New Orleans has done a great job of keeping the Dallas Mavericks at bay for the seventh spot. But Zion Williamson will need to be more consistent if the team wants to avoid play-in contention before the postseason.
Zion Williamson’s impressive comeback season
Zion Williamson had a rough campaign last year. He finished the year with only 29 appearances, was caught in a public feud with adult film actress Moriah Mills, and lost guarantees for the final three years of his contract. Reports about his poor eating habits affecting his fitness made life even more difficult for the 23-year-old forward.
However, Williamson has answered his critics on the basketball court. He has already played 39 games this season and hasn’t missed back-to-back games once. He’s averaging 22.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and one steal in only 30.4 minutes per game. The Pelicans are 22-17 with their superstar forward and only 6-4 without him.
Williamson is on pace to beat his career-high in games played. He is projected to play 66 regular-season games this year, which would surpass his career-high of 61. If he hits the 61-game mark this season, his $36.7 million salary for the 2024-25 season will become fully guaranteed.
Williamson is doing his best to repair his reputation after a torrid 2022-23 campaign. He’s going about it the right way so far. The Pelicans will hope the forward continues to play at a high level and helps them earn a spot in the playoffs after missing out last season.
