The New Orleans Pelicans engaged the Los Angeles Lakers in a heated NBA Play-In matchup. However, New Orleans was subject to a troubling Zion Williamson injury late in the fourth. Williamson came up grimacing after scoring an inside bucket against Anthony Davis and later exited to the locker room in frustration with an apparent ailment.

Zion Williamson suffers untimely injury in crucial Pelicans-Lakers game 

Head Coach Willie Green called Williamson’s injury “left leg soreness” and said the star will get an imaging on it Wednesday, per Will Guillory. Hopefully, the injury is not too serious and he undergoes a speedy recovery.

Williamson was having a phenomenal game before his exit. He amassed 40 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists towards the end of the game. The star forward was critical to the Pelicans’ resistance to the Lakers’ intense attack.

New Orleans battled Los Angeles for a secure seventh-seed spot in the Western Conference playoff picture. However, they came up short after Anthony Davis and LeBron James willed LA to a 110-106 victory.

Davis put up a commanding 20-point-11-rebound double-double, while James amassed 23 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds. D’Angelo Russell also chipped in a crucial 21-point performance. The Lakers were slightly too much for New Orleans to handle. Still, the Pelicans put up a good fight.

Outside of Zion Williamson, New Orleans had four players score in the double digits. Trey Murphy III scored 12 points with Brandon Ingram contributing 11. Meanwhile, Herb Jones, Larry Nance Jr., and Jose Alvarado all scored 10 points.

In the end, the Pelicans needed more support for Williamson from their other stars. CJ McCollum ended the night with just nine points in 30 minutes. New Orleans would have loved Brandon Ingram to produce more on offense, but he is still getting back into rhythm after returning from a knee contusion.

Tuesday night’s loss is tough to swallow, but the Pelicans still have a chance to make the playoffs.

New Orleans has one more chance to make the NBA Playoffs

The Lakers’ win over the Pelicans earned them the seventh-seed spot. Still, the Pelicans will have a chance at redemption against the winner of the 9-10 seed Golden State Warriors-Sacramento Kings Play-In matchup. The winner of the game faces New Orleans for their eighth and final playoff seed.

If the Pelicans can regroup and hopefully get Zion Williamson back from injury, they will have a chance to advance. Even if Williamson does not return, New Orleans has what it takes.

The squad got out to an excellent start in their 114-109 win over the Golden State Warriors on April 12th. Their close was shaky, but they still got the win. The key was New Orleans’ other contributors stepped up. Namely, CJ McCollum scored 28 points, while Trey Murphy finished with 24.

Among other concerns, the Pelicans need to handle the basketball more carefully. They gave up 12 turnovers to the Lakers on Tuesday night. On the bright side, New Orleans won the rebounding battle 49-41.

All in all, the Pelicans still have a chance to have a postseason run if they can lock in and execute during their final Play-In matchup.