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Zion Williamson News Emerges on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 22, 2026 6:05 PM ET

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans suffered their third straight loss on Wednesday night. They put up a good fight against the Detroit Pistons, the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, but New Orleans still came up short, 112-104.

Williamson started for the Pelicans on Wednesday, but he was not able to finish the game. The two-time All-Star was forced to exit after just 15 minutes of action due to an illness. Williamson was not able to return, finishing with four points and four rebounds.

New Orleans is back in action on Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies, and the team has already revealed Williamson’s status.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1)© Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Williamson headed into the Pistons game with a questionable tag due to illness. He tried to play through the issue, but only managed 15 minutes before he went back to the locker room mid-game. It did not take long for the Pelicans to rule him out for the rest of the contest.

The good news for New Orleans is that Williamson appears to have shaken off his illness. The Pelicans released their official injury report for Friday’s game against the Grizzlies and Williamson was not included on the list.

The report also indicated that Herb Jones is questionable to play with right ankle sprain. Jose Alvarado remains out with a left oblique strain.

Williamson has played 30 games for the Pelicans this season. The 6-foot-6 power forward is averaging 21.9 points on 58.2% shooting, 5.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.8 minutes per contest.

The Pelicans enter Friday’s game with a 10-36 record. As of writing, they have the worst record in the entire NBA.

Williamson and Co. will be on the road against the Grizzlies. Tip-off from FedExForum is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET. This will be the first of an upcoming three-game road trip for the Pelicans.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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