Is Zion Williamson Playing Tonight vs Rockets?: Pelicans Star’s Return Date Gets Yet Another Extension

Tonoy Sengupta
|PublishedMar 17, 2023

Is Zion Williamson Playing Tonight vs Rockets?: Pelicans Star's Return Date Gets Yet Another Extension

Mar 1, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson (1, right) watches from the bench during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans may have soared high at one point in the season, but now they sit as the lowly 12^th seed in the Western Conference. As things stand, they’re not even in the play-in picture anymore. And more than anything, it means that the franchise needs Zion Williamson yesterday.

The Pelicans star has been out of action since 2^nd January, dealing with what was supposed to be just a little niggling problem. So, what’s going on here? Is this really a long-term injury, that was misunderstood at first? And if not, what are the updates on the situation? And of course, will Zion Williamson be healthy enough to feature in tonight’s contest against the Philadelphia 76ers?

ESPN releases yet another injury update on Zion Williamson

The ailment that has kept Zion Williamson out for so long, has reportedly been a hamstring injury. For most, these injuries can prove to be niggling, but often don’t last too long at all. In fact, oftentimes about a month proves more than enough.

But then again, this is Zion Williamson. The man is heavier than most centers while being shorter than quite a few shooting guards in the NBA today. So, it stands to reason that due to the extra weight, his body does need time to recover. And sure, enough, that’s exactly what ESPN had to report on the matter.

Throwback to when Zion Williamson scored 13 straight points in the last 2 minutes vs Minnesota on his way to 43 points and the #1 seed in the west.

Looking forward to more people writing him off this year and inevitably being proven wrong when he’s back on the floor. pic.twitter.com/t8EsiH0BTH

— Wes (@6ManYT) March 8, 2023

The sports news company’s top NBA reporter, Adrian Wojnarowski, recently announced that Williamson will be out for at least another couple of weeks. However, there is said to be progress being made, so perhaps it isn’t all bad. But, overall, the Pelicans fanbase will agonizingly have to wait a bit longer.

What is Zion Williamson averaging this season?

After 29 games played, Zion Williamson is averaging 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. Additionally, he is shooting 60.8% from the field, 36.8% from three, and 71.4% from the charity stripe.

Also Read: Is Joel Embiid Playing Tonight vs Hornets? Sixers’ 2023 MVP Frontrunner’s Availability Report

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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