It took a big game from most of the Los Angeles Lakers’ starters to take care of the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament. After the match, LeBron James acknowledged Zion Williamson and dropped the ultimate praise on him.
In that game, the Purple and Gold went home with the 110-106 win over NOLA. Anthony Davis went off with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. James had 23 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and two blocks. Austin Reaves added 16 points while D’Angelo Russell had 21 for Los Angeles.
The Pelicans, on the other hand, had a monster performance from Williamson. In 36 minutes on the floor, the All-Star forward dropped 40 points on 63 percent shooting from the field, 11 rebounds, and five assists. Meanwhile no other New Orleans player scored more than 13 points, making the former number one pick the focal point of his team against the Lakers.
Unfortunately, Williamson left the game with only three minutes remaining due to a injured hamstring. His absence allowed James and the Lakers to pull away from the Pelicans, giving them the first win of this year’s Play-In Tournament. As a result, the Lakers will get a playoff spot to face the Denver Nuggets while the Pels will go up against the Sacramento Kings to advance after they defeated Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors recently.
Los Angeles Lakers Star LeBron James Drops Ultimate Praises New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson After His Monster Performance
After the game, James spoke to the media about the Lakers’ win over New Orleans. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer also praised Williamson, as seen in a video posted by Jarrett Treed on X:
“[Zion] is a generational talent”
“I asked Lebron about his assessment on Zion and progress he’s made in Year 5,” Treed tweeted.
Over the course of 70 games this season, Williamson has averaged 22.9 points on 57 percent shooting from the field, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per contest. He has also played the majority of this campaign, as compared to the four previous years when the NOLA star was out because of injuries.
The Pelicans still have a chance to make the playoffs if they defeat the Sacramento Kings while the Lakers are slated to face the Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Whatever happens, though, it looks like Williamson’s future is looking brighter than before, especially after all the hurdles he has experienced since entering the NBA.
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