Why isn’t Zion Williamson playing in the Play-in tournament game against the Kings?

It’s one of the most interesting moments of the NBA, as some teams are playing to keep competing in the tournament and advance to the playoffs. One of the teams fighting to get a ticket to the NBA postseason in the Play-In Tournament is the New Orleans Pelicans.

Willie Green’s men finished eighth in the Western Conference standings, with three victories more than their rivals tonight, the Sacramento Kings. The Pelicans had a double chance to make it to the postseason but failed to take advantage of their first game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Lebron James % co. got away with a hard-fought win (110-106) and will now take on the current champions, the Denver Nuggets, in the first round of the playoffs.

New Orleans will now need to win in a do-or-die game that will decide the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs, with all their efforts during the regular season at stake. The positive note for the Pelicans is that they have faced the Kings five times this campaign and have won all the games, so they seem to have their opponents’ number.

Williamson won’t play, but why?

However, New Orleans will have to deal with a big setback. Zion Williamson won’t be able to feature in his team’s most important game of the season.

The 23-year-old power forward suffered a left hamstring injury with about three minutes remaining in the match against the Lakers. He will be out of action for the next two weeks, in case the Pelicans emerge victorious and get to the NBA playoffs.

Williamson scored 40 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Los Angeles. He has missed most of his first four seasons due to a series of injuries to his knee, hand, foot, and hamstring. He finally avoided serious injuries and found his form this season, but he will be out again when the team needs him the most.

“This is an unfortunate situation,” his teammate CJ McCollum said. “He was having a great game. We’re getting down the stretch of a highly important game where he’s dominating and leaving his imprint in all phases. And he ends up having to leave the game early”, he added.

The Pelicans already defeated the Kings without Williamson this term. It was back in January, and New Orleans came out on top 133-100, with McCollum scoring 30 points.

The winner of the game will face the Western Conference top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs.