Zion Williamson Is Dealing With A Finger Injury During The Pelicans’ Playoff Push

NEW ORLEANS: Zion Williamson’s long-awaited first playoff push with the New Orleans Pelicans received’t be ache free.

Williamson injured a finger on his capturing hand whereas blocking a shot shortly earlier than halftime of New Orleans’ 117-108 loss to Orlando on Wednesday night time.

But some excellent news arrived on Thursday when coach Willie Green stated after apply that Williamson’s finger didn’t seem to have structural injury. Green added that Williamson could be listed as day after day on the membership’s harm report main as much as Friday night time’s dwelling sport towards San Antonio.

“Just banged it against the backboard really hard,” Williamson stated after the sport.

Williamson saved enjoying after the harm, however not earlier than heading to the locker room to have it examined. The final of his 15 factors got here on a dunk within the fourth quarter, however he additionally sat out the sport’s closing seven-plus minutes.

With six video games remaining, the Pelicans have a tenuous maintain on sixth place within the Western Conference. They started Thursday only a half0game forward of seventh-place Sacramento. Only the highest six seeds in every convention advance on to the NBA playoffs and keep away from a play-in involving groups that end seventh by means of tenth.

Meanwhile, high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram has been sidelined since March 21 by a bone bruise in his left knee, and it’s not clear if he’ll return earlier than the top of the common season. But the Pelicans may be hopeful about their stretch run so long as Williamson avoids the kind of well being points that sidelined him for many of his first 4 NBA seasons.

Williamson has performed 65 video games this season, greater than some other common season in his earlier 4 years since being drafted first total out of Duke in 2019. His common of practically 23 factors per sport leads the group. He has regarded as match and spry as ever, operating the ground and getting above the rim for alley-oop dunks on one finish or to swat away pictures on the opposite.

The Pelicans have made the Western Conference play-in twice and NBA playoffs as soon as previously two seasons, however Williamson was not wholesome sufficient to play both time.

His type and health recently have contrasted sharply with most of his earlier NBA seasons. He performed in simply 24 video games as a rookie due to a knee harm and different conditioning issues, missed all of his third season with a foot harm and was executed after simply 29 video games final season due to a proper hamstring pressure.

Williamson has missed simply 11 video games this season however none since Feb. 10 and has performed in 26 straight video games.

“It’s just getting to that part of the season,” Williamson stated just lately. “Just trying to let my teammates know I’m here — I’m with y’all.”

New Orleans has misplaced three straight and 4 of 5, however all 4 losses have come towards groups at the moment in place to make the playoffs — together with Boston and Oklahoma City, which boast two of the most effective data within the NBA.

“There’s no need to panic,” Williamson stated assuredly after the Orlando loss. “We just got to come with a higher level of focus into these next few games.”

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)