Report: Zion out for Kings-Pelicans play-in tournament game
Report: Zion out for Kings-Pelicans play-in tournament game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The New Orleans Pelicans will be without their best player for the NBA Play-In Tournament matchup with the Sacramento Kings on Friday at Smoothie King Center.
Zion Williamson, who suffered a left hamstring injury in the Pelicans' loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in New Orleans, will miss Friday's win-or-go-home game against the Kings, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday, citing sources.
ESPN Sources: Pelicans F Zion Williamson’s (left hamstring) is out for Friday’s Play-In Tournament elimination game vs. Sacramento and will be evaluated again in coming weeks. Huge blow for New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/rMc1IC2RtY
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 17, 2024
Williamson scored 40 points with 11 rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes against the Lakers before sustaining the hamstring injury with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Sacramento struggled mightily against New Orleans this season, losing all five regular-season games. Williamson played in four of those matchups and averaged 23 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists against the Kings.
After ousting the Golden State Warriors from the postseason with a 118-94 win over its Northern California rival on Tuesday at Golden 1 Center, Sacramento now travels to New Orleans to face off against a Pelicans team without its best player in hopes of securing a spot in the NBA playoffs as the Western Conference's No. 8 seed.
