Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has officially been listed as “Out” with a left hamstring injury for their Friday night elimination game against the Sacramento Kings.
Zion left the game with 3 min left after an apparent injury pic.twitter.com/dmSjuoxgzs
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 17, 2024
Williamson performed a masterclass in the first round of the Western Conference play-in tournament game against the Los Angeles Lakers, recording a game-high 40 points along with 11 rebounds and five assists. However, Williamson left the game with 3:19 remaining after tying the game 95 with a driving layup. He then proceeded to the locker room, apparently hurt, and threw a towel to the ground in disdain as he entered the tunnel. The Pelicans lost the game 110-106 after Williamson’s exit, sending them to the elimination game against Sacramento.
Without Williamson, the Pelicans must rely on other starters, such as Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, and Jonas Valanciunas, to pick up the slack Williamson will leave by sitting on the bench. Forward Larry Nance Jr. will likely take Williamson's place in the starting lineup. On Tuesday night, Nance recorded a double-double against the Lakers, scoring ten points and grabbing 12 rebounds from off the bench.
The Pelicans will face the Sacramento Kings on Friday, April 19, at 9:30 p.m. in New Orleans. Both teams will battle for the No. 8 seed in the West.
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