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How Lakers beat Pelicans in Play-In Tournament: Zion Williamson suffers injury amid career performance
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Zion Williamson looked unstoppable during Tuesday's Play-In Tournament opener against the Los Angeles Lakers — a 110-106 loss — until the New Orleans Pelicans star's monster night ended early. He exited in the final minutes of the matchup with what Pelicans coach Willie Green later described as left leg soreness.
After the game, Williamson walked out of Smoothie King Center without any apparent mobility issues. He didn't have a visible wrap on his leg either.
Green said Williamson will get imaging on his leg Wednesday. Green added that he didn't see if it was a knee or a foot Williamson injured.
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Pelicans’ Zion Williamson leaves loss to Lakers with leg soreness, coach says
A little more than 48 hours ago, the Los Angeles Lakers (47-35) traveled to face the New Orleans Pelicans (49-33) in a game with massive stakes. Now, the two teams will run it back to begin the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament. The winner will be the No. 7 seed and face the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The loser will host the winner of the game between the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings for the right to face the West's top seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Led by LeBron James' triple double, the Lakers defeated the Pelicans 124-108 Sunday to jump up to the eighth spot in the standings and drop the Pelicans below the Phoenix Suns in the race for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff slot. It was the third Lakers victory in four head-to-head matchups between these teams this season, a tally that includes a 44-point LA rout in December in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament.
The game begins at 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on TNT and WatchTNT.