Backed by the performance Zion Williamson was putting up, the New Orleans Pelicans seemed as though they would defeat the Los Angeles Lakers and clinch the 7th seed in the Western Conference. The 23-year-old had been praised prior to the game for avoiding any major injury this season, but it caught him at the moment when his team needed him the most. The leg injury forced Williamson to miss the final crucial minutes of the encounter, which the NOLA side eventually lost.
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Following a tough loss, Willie Green revealed that the star forward suffered soreness in his left leg. Zion Williamson had a breathtaking outing in the first postseason appearance of his career. The former Duke Blue Devil recorded a 40-point, 11-rebound double-double along with 5 assists, per NBA.com.
Despite going up against the LeBron James-led experienced Lakers, Williamson brought the team within striking distance.
Zion Williamson in his FIRST EVER post season game
40 points
11 rebounds
5 assistsDid everything he could
( @Digits3App )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 17, 2024
At the 3:13 minute mark of the fourth quarter, the 6ft 6” highflyer seemed to have hurt his leg. With the Pelicans calling for a timeout, the forward headed to the locker room. Even though Zanos’ departure was concerning, fans believed that the two-time All-Star would return to the floor. But that didn’t seem to be the case.
Zion left the game with 3 min left after an apparent injury pic.twitter.com/dmSjuoxgzs
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 17, 2024
The 23-year-old missed the remainder of the bout. As a result of his absence, the Pelicans suffered a tough 106-110 loss.
With the Louisiana side having another shot at advancing to the playoff, supporters were eagerly waiting for an injury update on their star. During the post-game conference, Willie Green revealed that Zion had soreness in his left leg and would be getting imaging tomorrow, per Andrew Lopez.
Willie Green says it’s left leg soreness for Zion Williamson and he will get imaging done tomorrow.
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) April 17, 2024
While soreness is a matter of concern, NOLA will relieved to learn that Williamson hasn’t suffered any sort of sprain or swelling. The southpaw has already missed out on numerous games early in his career due to foot injuries. Playing in the postseason for the first time in his career, fans hope that the injury is not serious enough to keep him sidelined.
If Zion Williamson is healthy, along with Brandon Ingram back on the lineup, the New Orleans Pelicans are equipped with enough firepower to defeat either of the two Californian teams – the Sacramento Kings & the Golden State Warriors – in the ultimate play-in game.
