NBA
Zion Williamson injured: what injury does he have? Will he play for the Pelicans in the Kings play-in game?
Williamson was forced off in the defeat to the Lakers, just two days before New Orleans play in the No. 8 seed game.
The Pelicans suffered yet more end-of-season disappointment on Tuesday, losing 110-106 to the Lakers in the first game of the play-in tournament. As a result, Los Angeles will be the Western Conference No. 7 seed, while New Orleans have one more chance to reach the playoffs, facing the Sacramento Kings on Friday (19 April) for the right to qualify as No. 8 seed. However, they will have to do so without star power forward Zion Williamson.
What injury did Williamson suffer against the Lakers? How long will he be out?
The 23-year-old had been a doubt to face the Lakers but did eventually play, scoring 40 points in his team’s loss. However, he suffered an injury towards the end of the game, which has now been officially confirmed by the Pelicans.
The team posted the following on social media on Wednesday: “The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that forward Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. An MRI taken this morning confirmed the injury. Williamson will be re-examined in approximately two weeks.”
What Pelicans games will Williamson miss? Will he play in the playoffs?
Williamson will therefore be out for an absolute minimum of two weeks, which means he will miss the Pelicans’ crucial play-in game against the Kings on Friday. Whoever wins will take on No. 1 seed the Oklahoma Thunder in the first round of the playoffs proper.
Should New Orleans qualify, Williamson could also miss the whole of the series against the Thunder, which starts on Sunday (April 21). 1 May will be two weeks after the confirmation of his injury, and the date of the fifth game in the series.
With the sixth and seventh games following on 3 and 5 May, there is no guarantee that he would be available to play in any of the series, with the Pelicans’ diagnosis leaving his recovery time somewhat up in the air.
The news comes as another blow to New Orleans, who let a playoff spot slip from their grasp. Willie Green’s team had been very well placed to finish in the top six but finished the regular season 5-5, with the defeat to the Lakers in the final game allowing the Phoenix Suns to sneak past them as No. 6 seed.