Zion Williamson can consider himself lucky that he was able to walk away safe from a scary incident on the court during Monday night’s game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks. While trying to throw down an alley-oop pass from Brandon Ingram, Williamson got hit mid-air by Mavs big man Maxi Kleber who didn’t seem to see the high-flying New Orleans star behind him. That led to an awkward fall by Williamson, who said he did not think Kleber did it on purpose.
“I gotta go look at the clip. Do I think he did it intentionally? I don’t think he’s that kind of dude. I just gotta go look at the clip,” Williamson shared to reporters during the postgame press conference (h/t Pelicans Film Room).
The former Duke Blue Devils star led the Pelicans with 30 points in 32 minutes and also had three assists while shooting 12-for-17 from the floor, but his tremendous effort was not enough to prevent New Orleans from losing at the hands of the Mavericks to the tune of a 125-120 score.
Nevertheless, Williamson and the Pelicans can take heart from the fact that his collision with Kleber did not result in a major injury.
Whether Kleber did that intentionally or not, he will have to be more aware of his surroundings on the court, especially when he’s around the rim defensively. For Williamson, the terrifying fall likely will not discourage him from trying to pull off highlight finishes at the rim.
The 24-17 Pelicans will next face the Charlotte Hornets at home on Wednesday.
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