The New Orleans Pelicans got blown out by the Los Angeles Lakers in the semifinals of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament and Zion Williamson called himself out for playing too “laid back.”
The Lakers beat the Pelicans by 44 points.
“I got to be better,” Williamson said. “I got to be more aggressive, finding my shot. I got to do more things to get my team going. I think I was too laid-back tonight, and I just can’t do that. And defensively I got to be better.”
Williamson played 25 minutes against the Lakers. He finished with 13 points, two rebounds, three assists and three turnovers while shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 1-of-6 from the free-throw line.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Zion Williamson, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans Updates
“I have a problem where I literally just try to hunt the best shot possible every time, but my teammates, they expect more from me,” Williamson said. “I expect more from myself. I got to just trust my game. I just got to be more aggressive. I think if I’m more aggressive that energy will definitely carry over.”
Williamson is now averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists on the season for the Pelicans while shooting 57.4% from the floor, 33.3% from 3 and 64.2% from the foul line. The Pelicans are 12-11. They are in eighth place in the Western Conference standings.
“Tonight was a total letdown,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said. “We were all disappointed in our competitive spirit against the Lakers, and you got to give them credit. They came out and they dominated. … They know what it takes to be on the big stage and have big moments. For some of our guys, this is their first time since college being in elimination games. So we’ll take the experience, we’ll watch film on it, we’ll grow, and we’ll learn. For Z in particular, it’s a moment that we can learn from. The level went up tonight, and like I said, we didn’t match their intensity.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Zion Williamson, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans Updates
Williamson and the Pelicans are back in action on December 11 when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have the best record in the NBA.
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