New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson gave his best effort to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
It wasn't enough. In the NBA play-in tournament in New Orleans, the Lakers overcame a late rally from the Pelicans and a big game from Williamson to win 110-106. The win earned the Lakers the seventh seed in the Western Conference Playoffs and secured them a first-round matchup with the reigning champion Denver Nuggets.
Zion scores 40 points and leaves with injury
The Lakers built an 18-point lead and held off a late comeback from the Pelicans to win. Williamson scored a season-high 40 points but ended the game in the locker room with what appeared to be a non-contact injury. The extent of his injury was not immediately clear after the game.
head coach Willie Green told reporters. Williamson was suffering from pain in his left foot and was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday.
The Pelicans advance to Friday's elimination game against the Sacramento Kings or Golden State Warriors. But their immediate concern is Williamson's health. The winner of Friday's game will earn the No. 8 seed and earn a matchup with the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. The season of losers is over.
Lakers build big lead and stop Pelicans rally
The Pelicans took an early advantage in a competitive first quarter that saw runs from both teams. double technical foul About Jose Alvarado and D'Angelo Russell. New Orleans entered the second quarter with a 34-26 lead. The Lakers took control there.
The Pelicans took the lead in the quarter, with the Lakers going on a 12-0 run to take a 38-36 lead. By halftime, the Lakers led 60-50 and appeared to be on track for victory. By the middle of the third quarter, the lead was 73-55.
But New Orleans fought back with a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter to cut the Lakers' lead to 91-89. Williamson then made a dunk to tie the score at 93-93 with 3:53 remaining. However, he made a layup with 3 minutes and 19 seconds left and was ejected, and the game was tied at 95-95, and he did not return.
With Williamson sidelined, the Pelicans continued to fight until the end of the game. Russell made a 3-pointer with 51.1 seconds left, giving the Lakers a 104-100 lead. CJ McCollum answered with a floater with 38.2 seconds left, cutting Los Angeles' lead to two points.
The Pelicans then forced LeBron James to take a fadeaway shot from the baseline, but it missed the rim. However, Anthony Davis secured the offensive rebound and was fouled. He made two free throws with 14.8 seconds left, increasing the Lakers' lead to 106-102. Los Angeles made the remaining free throws to seal the victory.
Williamson's important game was ruined.
Williamson was in the midst of a potentially career-changing game as he sought to reach the playoffs for the first time in five seasons since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. He scored 10 points in each quarter, including the game-tying goal in the fourth quarter that fueled a Pelicans rally.
He stopped James multiple times, making 17 of 27 from the field and finishing the game with 40 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. The Pelicans can advance to the playoffs with a win on Friday. But for now, it's unclear whether Williamson, whose career has been hampered multiple times by injuries, will be able to play when available.
Lakers ride the FT line and make the playoffs with 3-point shooting
The Lakers won Tuesday's game from beyond the arc and at the free throw line. The Pelicans made 14 of 35 (40%) 3-pointers, but the Pelicans shot just 9 of 30 (30%).
They got to the free throw line 29 times and converted 26 times (89.7%) once they got there. Davis and Austin Reaves made 6 of 6 free throws in the final seconds of the game as the Pelicans tried to extend the game. The Pelicans made 11 of 15 from the line in this game.
James overcame a poor shooting night (6-of-20) to lead the Lakers with 23 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. He shot 10-of-10 from the line. Davis made 8 of 10 free throws and added 20 points and 15 rebounds. Russell led the team with 21 points and six assists, going 5-of-11 from long range. He was one of four Lakers to hit two more 3-pointers.
This win begins a difficult matchup for Los Angeles. The Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in last year's Western Conference Finals and lost all three regular season games this season. The Lakers last beat the Nuggets on December 16, 2022.
