New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson ceded the loss to the Philadelphia 76ers early Monday night due to a hamstring injury.
While it’s unclear how serious Williamson’s injury is at this point – coach Willie Green said he only knew it was Williamson’s right hamstring after the game, nothing more – it comes amid an impressive play stretch from Williamson and the Pelicans.
“It was right at a pivotal moment in the game,” Green said of ESPN’s Andrew Lopez of the injury. “We take a picture and look at him and hopefully he’s fine. It was a great loss for us.”
Williamson went down in the third quarter just after a defensive rebound. Williamson tried to shove the ball onto the court but suddenly pulled himself up and started grabbing his right leg as he quickly passed the ball.
Williamson then checked out of the game after a foul at the other end and didn’t return. He finished the night with 26 points, seven assists and six rebounds while shooting 10 of 12 from the field.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 42 points and 11 rebounds in the 120-111 win in Philadelphia while James Harden added 27. The 76ers have now won 10 of their last 12.
Williamson averaged 29.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in his last 10 games for the Pelicans, who are just a game behind first place in the Western Conference. After missing the entire 2021-22 season with a foot injury and a lot of time in his first two pro seasons, Williamson has played in 29 games out of a possible 37 this season – missing games only due to minor injuries or the league’s COVID-19 health and security protocols.
It is unknown how long Williamson will be out, if ever. But given his injury history and the fact that it’s still early January, there’s no real reason to bring him back. The Pelicans will host the Houston Rockets next Wednesday before taking on the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
It’s unclear how serious Zion Williamson’s hamstring injury is or if he will be absent for the Pelicans. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)