The 2023-24 NBA regular season is coming to a close but the New Orleans Pelicans are still fighting for a spot in the top six of the Western Conference standings. They scored a major victory on Sunday when they took down the team they are chasing in the standings, beating the Phoenix Suns on the road, 113-105.
Pelicans star forward and former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson had one of his best performances in the NBA in that Suns game, as he poured in 29 points on 11/21 shooting from the field grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out seven assists, and swatted away five blocks in 40 minutes. Williamson’s defense also caught the eye of New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green.
“He’s been getting better defensively as the season has progressed,” Green said about Williamson following the win against the Suns, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). “He was everywhere, guarding the ball, blocking shots, coming up with big offensive rebounds, attacking the basket, making his free throws.”
Zion Williamson Looked Dangerous in New Orleans Pelicans Win vs Suns
Even Suns head coach Frank Vogel was in awe of what Williamson showed in the game.
“He dominated the game on both sides of the ball. Exceptional performance,” Vogel said of Williamson.
Together with CJ McCollum, Williamson torched the Suns on offense. McCollum paced the Pelicans with 31 points on 12/22 shooting from the floor. The bench also stepped up for New Orleans, with Jose Alvarado and Dyson Daniels chopping in 15 and 10 points, respectively.
But it was Williamson who truly got most people’s attention.
“I was locked into the game plan. They got special players,” the former Duke Blue Devils star said. “I felt like if I was guarding one of them late in the game I could give my team energy.”
Williamson’s body of work in the fourth quarter, when the Pelicans needed someone to step up, was something that reminded basketball fans just how dangerous he could be at any point or stretch of a contest against any opponent.
“Zion Williamson scored or assisted on 6 of the Pelicans’ 7 field goals in the 4th quarter (including the final 6). He also had 3 blocks in the 4th quarter, the most blocks in any quarter of his career.”
Apart from stopping a four-game losing skid, the Pelicans’ win over the Suns has New Orleans keeping in step with Phoenix. The Suns are sixth in the Western Conference with a 46-32 record. The Pelicans, on the other hand, also have a 46-32 record, but Phoenix appears to own the tiebreaker at the moment.
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