The New Orleans Pelicans earned their way into the 2024 NBA Playoffs through the NBA Play-In Tournament. It is tough enough finding success in the postseason as the No. 8 seed, but the Pelicans were dealt another huge blow in their Play-In Game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Late in the fourth quarter, their star, Zion Williamson, came up hobbling after making a layup to tie the game at 95. Williamson had led an impressive comeback for New Orleans, as it was his 40th point of the game.
Unfortunately for the Pelicans, he was unable to finish the game. He went to the locker room with a hamstring injury and did not return. That was the last time we saw Williamson on an NBA court, as he missed the second Play-In Game against the Sacramento Kings and Game 1 vs the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Even though he has not been on the court, the Pelicans have hung tough. Their game against the Thunder went right down to the wire, as New Orleans came up just short. It is easy for people to imagine had Williamson been in the lineup, things would have gone better.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Zion Williamson & New Orleans Pelicans Updates
When could we expect him to get back on the court? He provided a positive update, via Will Guillory of The Athletic, on Tuesday afternoon. Williamson doesn’t believe this hamstring injury is as severe as the one he suffered last year and believes it is realistic he can get back on the court during the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
In addition, Guillory shared that Williamson has already begun doing some rehab work with the Pelicans’ training staff. While he did admit the injury was demoralizing, he seemed fairly optimistic about the direction things are heading in.
That is about as good of news as the Pelicans and their fans could receive. It is hard to imagine Williamson will be on the court for Game 2 against the Thunder on Wednesday night. But, the longer the Pelicans can keep the series going, the better the odds of him getting onto the court will be.
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