The New Orleans Pelicans achieved their largest comeback in franchise history after rallying back from a 24-point deficit against the Boston Celtics. The victory in overtime wouldn’t have been pulled off had it not been for potential NBA All-Stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram thriving in the clutch.
Facing a 112-112 tie on the scoreboard with just 50.1 seconds remaining on the game clock, Zion Williamson stepped up in a major way. He got downhill after using a high ball screen and forced a commitment from the Celtics’ defense on the strong-side wing — setting up a catch-and-shoot three-pointer from Brandon Ingram.
“Whenever I’m in the pick-and-roll as the ball handler, I try to make the best read,” Zion Williamson said, via ESPN’s Andrew Lopez.. “I think in that situation, after me getting to the basket a couple times, I read that they were going to collapse. As soon as they collapsed, Brandon is a knockdown shooter. He was there, so I made the pass. As y’all saw, he’s built for those moments.”
Managing to pull off the victory was crucial for the Pelicans to help to begin establishing momentum. It could be an important step in Zion Williamson’s development as he builds confidence from making big plays and being trusted to execute as a playmaker.
“It was a big win for us. We stayed true to who we were,” Williamson said. “We rallied back. Everybody, the coaches, the players, the ball boys, everybody was just engaged. We needed all that energy, and we pulled through.”
The Pelicans will need to begin to string multiple wins together to make a legitimate playoff push. New Orleans snapped a two-game losing streak with this miraculous victory and hasn’t won consecutive outings since their 130-101 win against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 9.
The New Orleans Pelicans will return to action on Wednesday when they host the Detroit Pistons. Against one of the weaker teams in the NBA, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram will look to lead the team to a second-straight victory.
