Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans took down the team with the best record in the NBA, the Utah Jazz, in a thrilling 129-124 win on Monday night. Williamson fearlessly attacked Utah's towering defensive presence Rudy Gobert all night, as he led New Orleans' third quarter charge to give them an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The double-digit lead proved to be enough for the Pelicans to hold on to the upset victory.
Rudy Gobert paid his respects to the 6-foot-6, 284-pound tank for his elite drives and finishes at the basket. However, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year wasn't too pleased with the way Williamson jumps in with his elbow first when he attacks the paint, claiming that the referees should call those as offensive fouls.
Via Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune:
Rudy Gobert, on the Pelis' 40p 3Q: "Zion is very good at what he does, which is attacking the rim and finishing at the rim. It’s our defense. We — and I especially — could have done a better job in that quarter. … There’s a few layups he had that I could have impacted more."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) March 2, 2021
That said, he added, "That's not why we lost the game." (Though he did say they were "One terrible call away from a chance to win.")
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) March 2, 2021
Check out Williamson's highlights below. Perhaps Williamson's and-1 conversion at the 1:15 mark is one of those instances that Gobert referred to. Furthermore, at the 1:46 mark, the Jazz center explicitly complained to the officials about Zion's elbow and asked for a charge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gynIqgnKrew
Williamson didn't extend his elbows in an obvious way that would make the officials blow their whistle and issue an offensive foul. The Jazz star likely won't get that call in the future unless the former Duke star clearly sticks out his arms.
Despite Gobert's presence in the paint on Monday, that did not deter Williamson from attacking him. Williamson was simply unstoppable in that third period, going to the cup in every instance he could. In 34 minutes, Zion scored 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists.
Williamson continues to live in the paint in his sophomore campaign, with nearly three-fourths of his total shot attempts coming within three feet of the basket. He has converted those shots at an elite rate at nearly 68 percent.
Follow Us
Subscribe