As the No. 1 pick of the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019, Zion Williamson really wants to prove that he is a pillar that the club can trust in the present and the future.
This becomes more important in the Play-in match against the Los Angeles Lakers, where on the other side of the front line is another former Pelicans’ first pick, Anthony Davis.
Zion Williamson did everything he could to help New Orleans change its fortunes against the Los Angeles Lakers, including scoring 40 points with muscular play.
However, all of Zion’s efforts were still not enough on the day when they were unlucky at a decisive time. Los Angeles Lakers escaped spectacularly at Smoothie Kings Center, winning narrowly with a score of 110-106 to lock in the 7th Playoffs ticket in the West.
The Lakers’ opponent in round 1 will be the defending champion Denver Nuggets, the team that defeated Los Angeles in last year’s regional final series.
As for the New Orleans Pelicans, the chance to enter the Playoffs is still there if they overcome the winner of the remaining Play-in pair between the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. This comprehensive set of stats compensates for the “king’s” poor finishing day with only 6-20 FG, including 1-5 3PT (10-10 FT).
D’Angelo Russell scored 21 points and 6 assists. Anthony Davis had 20 points, 15 rebounds (including 6 offensive rebounds) and added 3 blocks. Austin Reaves scored 16 points and had 6 assists.
On the New Orleans Pelicans side, Zion Williamson scored 40 points (17-27 FG) with 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Behind him are 6 different players scoring from 9-12 points.
Excellent day but sad ending for Zion Williamson
Before entering today’s competition, the New Orleans Pelicans had lost 5 of the last 6 times they faced the Los Angeles Lakers.
Zion Williamson is determined to change this by entering the game extremely energetic. His muscular and effective fighting style helped the Pelicans take a 10-point lead in the first half.
This advantage was erased by the Lakers in the second half and for a moment, New Orleans faced an 18-point lead (55-73). But Zion once again spoke up, playing explosively with 4 consecutive successful shots to bring the score back into balance.
However, the turning point in the match also occurred when Zion Williamson seemed to be injured even though he did not collide with anyone.
When Zion left the field with 40 points, the two teams were 95-95. Although the Pelicans still fought until the last minute and only suffered a narrow 106-110 defeat, things could have been very different if Williamson had continued to play.
Sharing after the match, New Orleans head coach Willie Green did not have any updates on his student’s injury. He only confirmed that Zion Williamson will have a more detailed scan the next day.
Los Angeles Lakers escaped spectacularly thanks to D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis
Despite Zion’s injury, the New Orleans Pelicans still put a lot of pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers and it seemed like the home team could turn the match around.
However, D’Angelo Russell’s cold 3-pointer right in front of the Pelicans’ bench opened a 4-point lead for Los Angeles.
The Lakers’ next move saw LeBron James throw an airball, but Anthony Davis was there with super long arms, grabbed the offensive rebound and then stepped up to the free throw line due to a foul.
These two situations kept the gap at 4 points and did not give the Pelicans a chance to complete the comeback, a bitter outcome for the “Pelicans” when they erased their opponent’s 18-point lead.
This is the 12th victory in the last 13 matches of the Los Angeles Lakers when Anthony Davis played completely. This statistic shows how important the big man born in 1993 is to the yellow and purple team.
Looking back at the breathtaking ending of the 2024 Play-in Tournament between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans
Next time they play, the New Orleans Pelicans will play the final match in the Play-in Tournament series on Saturday morning (Vietnam time). The Pelicans’ opponent is the winning team in the match between the Warriors and Kings.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers advance to the NBA Playoffs and will play Game 1 on the Denver Nuggets’ field. The match takes place on Sunday morning, April 21.
