Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy said they decided to give forward Zion Williamson a full-game audition as their primary ball-handler with guard Lonzo Ball sidelined by a hip injury, and he was pleased with the results.

"He played the game the way you're supposed to play the game. He was just tremendous," Van Gundy told reporters after Friday's 101-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Williamson finished the contest with 37 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in 35 minutes.

The 2019 first overall pick has run the Pelicans' offense at times over his first two seasons, but Friday night marked the first time they gave the 6'7'', 284-pound superstar full control. He responded with one of the most impressive performances of his young career.

Van Gundy explained it's probably far from the last time fans will see Williamson running the point.

"We want to get him more experience with that stuff going forward because I think that's where his future is in this game. I really do," he said. "He just needs reps and more and more and we've increased it throughout the year giving him more and more opportunities. We'd like to give him more going forward. We'll try to build some more things for him."

The 2021 All-Star selection is enjoying a terrific second NBA season. He's averaging 26.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 61.7 percent from the field, making him the only non-center inside the top 10 of field-goal percentage.

Williamson, who's a consistent three-point shot away from being virtually unstoppable, said he didn't feel out of place running the offense.

"It just feels natural to me," the Duke product said. "I've been playing the game since I was four. At this point, it just feels natural. I'm still learning, but certain things just feel natural."

Ball recently missed seven games with a left hip flexor strain and, after a three-game return to the lineup, he was back on the sideline Friday.

It's an injury the Pelicans will probably have to manage during the stretch run of the regular season, likely opening the door for plenty of point guard minutes for Williamson. Based on Friday night, that's bad news for the other teams in the hunt for the final playoff berths in the Western Conference.

New Orleans (23-29) is one game behind the Golden State Warriors (24-28) for the 10th seed in the West, which is the final spot in the play-in tournament before the playoffs. Those two teams will play three times over their last eight regular-season games in May.

Williamson and the Pelicans are back in action Sunday when they visit Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-32).

Luka Doncic continues to prove he is one of the best overall players in basketball and his latest rating in NBA 2K21 reflects his skill set.

The video game released a ratings update Thursday, featuring the Dallas Mavericks star gaining one point on his rating to sit at 94 overall. With averages of 28.5 points, 8.7 assists and 8.2 rebounds per game, it's hard to deny his abilities in his third season.

Another young player who continues to rise in the rankings is New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson, who jumped on spot up to 90 overall.

A hot stretch from Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke led to a four-point jump in his rating. The 2019 No. 16 draft pick moved into the starting lineup late last month and is averaging 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals over his last eight games.

On the other end of the spectrum is Boston Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who each dropped a point as the team struggles to keep up in the Eastern Conference standings.

Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington dropped three points to become a 77.

Notable Ratings Changes

Luka Doncic: 94 OVR (+1)

Zion Williamson: 90 OVR (+1)

Jayson Tatum: 89 OVR (-1)

Jaylen Brown: 88 OVR (-1)

Paul George: 88 OVR (-1)

Bam Adebayo: 88 OVR (+1)

Karl-Anthony Towns: 88 OVR (+1)

Russell Westbrook: 88 OVR (+1)

Julius Randle: 87 OVR (-1)

Jrue Holiday: 87 OVR (+1)

De'Aaron Fox: 87 OVR (+1)

Ben Simmons: 86 OVR (-1)

Domantas Sabonis: 86 OVR (-1)

Fred VanVleet: 84 OVR (-1)

Christian Wood: 84 OVR (-1)

Michael Porter Jr.: 84 OVR (+1)

Kevin Love: 80 OVR (-2)

Carmelo Anthony: 79 OVR (-1)

Darius Garland: 79 OVR (+2)

Bogdan Bogdanović: 79 OVR (+3)

Kelly Olynyk: 78 OVR (+4)

P.J. Washington: 77 OVR (-3)

Moses Brown: 77 OVR (+3)

Chuma Okeke: 76 OVR (+4)

Thanasis Antetokounmpo: 75 OVR (+3)

Jaden McDaniels: 75 OVR (+3)

The Brooklyn Nets moved back into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with a 139-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday at Barclays Center. With the Philadelphia 76ers idle, Brooklyn took a half-game lead over their Atlantic Division rival in the hunt for No. 1 seed.

Nets star Kevin Durant posted 17 points without missing a shot in his return from a hamstring injury. It was the small forward's first time on the court since posting 20 points in 33 minutes against the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 13. Yet Brooklyn's Big Three was still missing a key cog with guard James Harden sidelined by his own hamstring issue for at least 10 days.

That didn't bother the Nets (36-16) on Wednesday as they took down an equally short-handed Pelicans team (22-29) playing its second game in as many nights after falling to the Atlanta Hawks on the road Tuesday.

Notable Performers

Kevin Durant, SF, Brooklyn Nets: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

Kyrie Irving, PG, Brooklyn Nets: 24 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds

Eric Bledsoe, SG, New Orleans Pelicans: 26 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assists

Zion Williamson, PF, New Orleans Pelicans: 16 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds

Durant's Perfect Return

The Brooklyn Nets didn't compromise on their stance to take things slow with Durant's hamstring injury even after the star player was cleared to return on Wednesday. 

Head coach Steve Nash kept Durant out of the starting lineup in an attempt to better manage his minutes and used the extra time on the sidelines to allow the forward to continue warming up. After receiving treatment in the locker room and returning to the bench in the second quarter, Durant finally took the floor with 7:37 left in the first half. 

It was well worth the wait for Nets fans. 

Durant knocked down his first shot—a mid-range jumper—almost immediately after taking the floor and wouldn't miss a shot for the remainder of the night. After posting nine points in 8 minutes to close out the first half, Durant ramped things up further following the intermission. 

Durant started the third quarter and made it possible so the rest of the reserves could handle the fourth as he began drilling three-pointers and dishing out assists. 

Durants final line: 5-of-5 from the field, 5-of-5 from the free throw line, 2-of-2 from three-point range with seven rebounds, five assists and one block.

The forward may still need to shake off a bit more rust before he's playing 40 minutes per night and controlling the scoring, but there were hardly any concerns with his performance on Wednesday as the Nets coasted to an easy victory in the forward's return. 

Pelicans Give Up Three-Point Barrage Again

There's no question it's been a rough stretch for the Pelicans lately. 

Brandon Ingram, Kira Lewis Jr., Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Josh Hart are all nursing various injuries, Lonzo Ball continues to struggle with facilitating on offense and the schedule isn't doing the team many favors. 

Yet that doesn't make it any easier to watch the Pelicans backcourt get shredded on defense. 

One night after the Atlanta Hawks torched New Orleans by going 20-of-31 from behind the arc on Tuesday—including an 11-of-11 stretch from deep in the third quarter—the Pelicans allowed the Nets to make 19-of-41 three-pointers in another rout. 

New Orleans, meanwhile, sank just 6-of-27 shots from behind the arc. 

The Pelicans were tied with the Sacramento Kings for the worst three-point defense (39.3 percent allowed) ahead of their matchup with the Nets. They're likely to take sole possession of that stat after another abysmal showing on Wednesday. 

Things got so out of hand in Brooklyn that neither Ball, Zion Williamson or Eric Bledsoe played more than 29 minutes. The trio sat for the majority of the fourth quarter as Brooklyn took a 115-82 lead into the final frame. 

That led to Williamson failing to post at least 20 points for the first time in 26 regular season games. If the Pelicans can't slow down teams from deep in a three-point-happy league, losses like Wednesday's will remain all too common. 

What's Next?

The Nets host the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers at Barclays Center on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC in the second and final meeting between the clubs in the regular season. Brooklyn won the first game, 109-98, on Feb. 18. The Pelicans, meanwhile, return home for a game against the 76ers on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash knows what he's up against.

In speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday's game between the Nets and the New Orleans Pelicans, Nash said Pelicans star Zion Williamson is a "historically talented player." 

Williamson is on the verge of an NBA record entering Wednesday, as he tied Shaquille O'Neal's record for consecutive games with at least 20 points on 50 percent shooting in Tuesday's game against Atlanta. If he does the same against the Nets, that will be his 26th straight. 

After a standout rookie year that saw him accomplish feats that Michael Jordan did back in 1983, Williamson broke another record in his first All-Star campaign when he became the youngest player to record 30 points on 90 percent shooting.

At only 20, Williamson has plenty of time to keep making more history, too. 

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will miss Thursday's game against the Orlando Magic with a right thumb sprain. 

The second-year star is averaging 26.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists through 44 appearances for the Pelicans, having missed just two games this year because of COVID-19 protocols and a toe injury.

Williamson suffered a sprained thumb against the Boston Celtics at the end of March, though the injury wasn't as bad as initially feared.

The 20-year-old's durability this season—a year after he only appeared in 24 games as a rookie as he recovered from surgery for a torn meniscus—has been a huge positive for New Orleans, which sits at 21-25, good for the 12th seed in a tough Western Conference.

Without him, expect Brandon Ingram (23.2 points per game) to carry the New Orleans offense. Josh Hart, who has averaged 9.1 points and 7.8 rebounds through 46 appearances, should also see more time while Williamson is out of the lineup. 

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson suffered a sprained thumb in a 115-109 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday, but ESPN's Andrew Lopez reported that he "avoided a serious injury" and "shouldn’t miss much—if any—time."

Despite missing a game with a toe injury, the Duke product has been generally healthy this season. That stands in contrast to his rookie campaign when he played just 24 games due to a torn meniscus.

Williamson made the All-Star Game this season and is averaging 26.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a dominant force who can overpower defenders on his way to the rim and soar through the air when given the smallest opening.

However, the 20-year-old is also the franchise building block in New Orleans, so the team may exercise even more caution than usual with any physical setback.

Brandon Ingram will be tasked with serving as the go-to option if Williamson is sidelined, and Jaxson Hayes will likely see more time in the frontcourt.

The New Orleans Pelicans won their fourth game in five outings with a 115-109 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday.

Zion Williamson dropped 28 points for the Pelicans, who improved to 21-25. 

For the 23-24 Celtics, Jayson Tatum dropped 34 points but couldn't make up the deficit for a team that was missing his sidekick in Jaylen Brown. 

Notable Performers

• Jayson Tatum, Celtics: 34 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST
• Zion Williamson, Pelicans: 28 PTS, 8 REB, 4 STL
• Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: 25 PTS, 9 AST
• Kemba Walker, Celtics: 23 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST

Josh Hart's Start Sets the Tone  

Josh Hart had a good time against the Boston Celtics when the two teams battled to overtime in February. The fourth-year forward, who had averaged 9.0 points through 45 games entering Monday, dropped 17 points in that earlier meeting, which the Pelicans won by five in the extra period. 

He had another strong outing Monday, posting 15 points and seven rebounds by the break as New Orleans led 64-55. 

His performance caught the attention of three Boston defenders, who still weren't able to hold him down. 

In the second half, his point total remained stable, but he was able to log the double-double by finishing with 15 rebounds. 

Alongside 20 total points from Brandon Ingram, who had an 11-point first half in front of a Pelicans bench that posted 26 points, New Orleans held a semi-comfortable lead heading into the fourth quarter, even with Williamson hanging out on the bench for a stretch. 

Williamson still made his presence known in his time on the hardwood, ending the night with 28 points after a 12-point first half, and Ingram added a total of 25 points to help lead the Pelicans. 

Evan Fournier Falters in Debut 

Evan Fournier, who joined the Celtics from the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline in exchange for a pair of second-round picks, finally made his debut with the team after spending the weekend going through the league's health and safety protocols.

He told reporters Monday that he had a false positive test, which kept him out for the team's weekend wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder (h/t Tim Bontemps of ESPN). 

Even though All-Star Jaylen Brown dealing with a hip injury, the Celtics had Fournier come off the bench while giving Grant Williams the start. 

But his performance was a non-factor for Boston. Fournier, who averaged 19.7 points per game entering Monday, ended the night by going 0-of-10 from the field with two steals and two blocks. 

Boston's usual stars were hardly enough to make up for the absences of Brown and, apparently, Fournier. 

Jayson Tatum led Boston in scoring, and while he had a monstrous start to the game with 16 points in the first nine minutes, he came screeching to a stop until he nearly singlehandedly led a 15-0 run that put Boston back in it at the end.

But it was too little, too late for Boston. 

Kemba Walker also recorded 23 points, while Marcus Smart posted 15 in the loss. 

What's Next?

The Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Pelicans are headed home to host the Orlando Magic at 8 p.m. ET. 

The New Orleans Pelicans unlocked their offensive identity earlier this season when coach Stan Van Gundy turned the offense over to Zion Williamson, allowing the second-year star to act as the focal point of the offense.

After his Dallas Mavericks allowed Williamson to rampage for 38 points, five rebounds and six assists in Saturday's 112-103 loss to New Orleans, coach Rick Carlisle spoke about the unique challenges Zion presents.  

"He's an unusual force and obviously a great player," Carlisle said. "We'll have to figure something a little better out next time, but he's doing this to everybody. We did have some very good possessions guarding him, but he was a beast.

"It presents huge challenges for the defense and for officials. He is just creating collisions out there. This is a Shaquille O'Neal-type force of nature with a point guard skill set."

Williamson scored or assisted on the Pelicans' final 14 points in Saturday's win, continuing a trend that's seen him come into his own as a playmaker. New Orleans has the NBA's most efficient offense over the last two months, scoring 120.0 points per 100 possessions—a mark that's four points better than the Mavericks' NBA record set last season.

Williamson is averaging 26.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game overall this season. While defense is still a significant challenge for the Pels, Van Gundy unlocking Williamson's offensive brilliance is by far the biggest positive of his first year as coach. 

The New Orleans Pelicans handed the Los Angeles Lakers a third-straight loss on Tuesday night, 128-111, at Smoothie King Center as the reigning champions continue to struggle without Anthony Davis and LeBron James in the lineup.

Pelicans stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram combined for 63 points in the win to help New Orleans (19-24) stay alive in the race for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference while the Lakers' grip on a top-four seed begins to weaken. 

Los Angeles (28-16) entered Tuesday's game in third place and 3.5 games back of the Utah Jazz for first in the West. That road gets a bit tougher now as James (high-ankle sprain) remains out indefinitely and Davis (Achilles) is still a few weeks from returning to the lineup. 

It's just the second three-game losing streak for L.A. this season with the club's longest winless streak standing at four games in 2020-21.

Notable Performers

Brandon Ingram, SF, New Orleans Pelicans: 36 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds

Zion Williamson, PF, New Orleans Pelicans: 27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists

Kyle Kuzma, SF, Los Angeles Lakers: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists

Dennis Schroder, PG, Los Angeles Lakers: 15 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds

Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram Torch Lakers

Fresh off winning Most Improved Player last year, Ingram continues to absolutely light up the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers dealt Ingram to New Orleans as part of a deal to acquire Anthony Davis before the 2019-20 season and it's clear he's going to continue taking it out on his old team. In five previous games against the team that drafted him No. 2 overall in 2016, Ingram was averaging 22.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

Those numbers are about to take another massive jump up after his 36-point performance on Tuesday. 

Ingram posted 33 points before the fourth quarter even began, helping run up the score against the defending champs regardless of who they had on the floor. The 23-year-old had a game-high 16 points on nine shots at halftime in what appeared to just be a warm up.

And as Ingram keep firing off his jump shot, Williamson kept cutting into the paint to bully what was left of a banged-up L.A. frontcourt. 

The second-year pro out of Duke has now scored at least 20 points in 21 consecutive games and has failed to eclipse that mark in just four contests total. 

As Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy continues to mold the Pelicans in his image, he's got two motivated and skilled players up front in Ingram and Williamson who keep proving they can carry the load. Whether or not that ends in a playoff run this season, the future remains as bright as ever in New Orleans. 

Lakers Offense Stalls Again

The Lakers have some major questions that require immediate answers with just over a day until the NBA trade deadline.

Tuesday's loss exposed that as well as any could. 

After failing to exceed 94 points in their last two losses, the Lakers finally snapped that streak only to run into a Pelicans' offense that applied pressure for 48 minutes in a way L.A. didn't have the bodies to match. Part of that is the rash of injuries across the roster, and having to play three games in four days—including two on the road—isn't helping matters. 

That doesn't absolve the Lakers from giving up a 30-point lead to a team under .500, but it makes clear just how thin the current margin for error is. 

So it's come down to this: the defending champions are without two of the most indispensable players in the NBA for at least the next few weeks, are in danger of losing their grip on home court advantage for the postseason and have suddenly found themselves in a stalled offense. 

There are no easy answers here. 

The front office would be bold to move any key players at the deadline for immediate help, but a three-game losing streak isn't exactly the time to remain calm, either. 

However the Lakers decide to address the talent drain, it's clear the next 36 hours may be the most crucial stretch of Los Angeles' title defense. A 17-point loss to the Pelicans made that more obvious than ever. 

What's Next

The Lakers return home to face the Philadelphia 76ers at 9 p.m. ET Thursday night on TNT, though the Sixers are currently missing their own MVP candidate in Joel Embiid (knee) for the foreseeable future. The Pelicans, meanwhile, face-off against another title contender when the Denver Nuggets head to New Orleans on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.