© Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Injury Ends Former Duke Basketball Star's Brilliant Postseason Debut
Dating back to his Duke basketball days, bad luck tends to befall Zion Williamson at the most inopportune times.
After injuries forced Zion Williamson to miss the New Orleans Pelicans' first round exit in the 2022 NBA Playoffs and Play-In Tournament loss last year, the Duke basketball product made a statement in his first postseason appearance of any kind on Tuesday night.
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Facing the visiting Los Angeles Lakers in the Play-In Tournament for the Western Conference's No. 7 seed, the Pelicans' 23-year-old sensation and former No. 1 overall draft pick finished with a game-high 40 points to along with his 11 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. Unfortunately, though, he sat out the final 3:13 of action after sustaining a lower leg injury en route to tying the game at 95-95.
And without Williamson's forceful drives and dominant touch down the stretch, the Pelicans fell, 110-106, thereby punching the playoff ticket of LeBron James and the Lakers.
As for New Orleans' other former Duke basketball one-and-done and fellow centerpiece forward, the 26-year-old Brandon Ingram was on the floor for only his second outing since returning from a knee injury that had kept him out of commission for almost three weeks. He played only 25 minutes against the Lakers, tallying 11 points, four boards, and four dimes before watching the final 7:38 of the fourth quarter from the bench.
Neither of Los Angeles' NBA Blue Devils logged any minutes in New Orleans. Cam Reddish is out with a right ankle sprain, and Harry Giles, on a two-way contract, is not currently active for the postseason.
The Pelicans, now having to secure the No. 8 seed or see their season end, host the Sacramento Kings at 9:30 p.m. ET Friday. There's no telling yet if injury woes will sideline Zion Williamson (left leg soreness, testing set for Thursday) or limit Brandon Ingram again.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.
