The New Orleans Pelicans will be looking to improve to 3-1 on the season when they face Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday night at home. Zion Williamson meanwhile suffered a nasty fall on Sunday evening in an OT loss to the Utah Jazz and ultimately kept playing, but the big man was certainly in some pain. The question remains, is he playing tonight?

Is Zion Williamson Playing vs. Mavs

Zion was initially listed as questionable for this contest but as of Tuesday morning, he's ruled out with a hip/lower back contusion:

As you can see, Brandon Ingram is also sidelined as he remains in concussion protocol. Seeing Williamson hurt again this early in the campaign is definitely a worrying sign for the Pelicans, who when healthy, are a force to be reckoned with. While it doesn't look to be serious, it's clear the organization doesn't plan on risking anything when it comes to its franchise star.

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In three games so far, Zion is averaging 22 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 30.3 minutes per night. He's also shooting 49% from the field. For a guy that just missed the entire 2021-22 campaign, Williamson has shown well.

The injury happened when Zion Williamson was going up for a dunk and then Jordan Clarkson swiped the ball out of his hand mid-air, which resulted in the former top pick falling awkwardly on his back:

Yikes. Nevertheless, he was questionable initially for Tuesday, therefore Zion is clearly not dealing with any long-term ailment. At least that's what it seems like. So to answer the question, is Zion Williamson playing tonight? The answer is no.