When Zion Williamson is on a roll, he is one of the most difficult players to stop in the entire association. Possessing an incredible combination of size, strength, and athleticism, Williamson is one of the most physically imposing forwards in the league, and the Minnesota Timberwolves figured that out the hard way on Wednesday night. And with the New Orleans Pelicans locked in a tight contest against the Timberwolves, CJ McCollum knew that they needed to ride their best player's hot hand.
Zion Williamson ended up scoring his team's final 14 points, including the game-winning free throw, to lead the Pelicans to a 119-118 victory. The 6'6 forward finished with a career high 43 points on the night, and it may all be thanks to the Pelicans' hilarious strategy as revealed by McCollum after the game.
With Williamson cooking, CJ McCollum and the Pelicans only had one thing in mind to close out the game, poking some fun towards their playbook in the process.
“We really had diverse play calling down the stretch. Give the ball to Z and get the f–k out of the way,” McCollum said, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
If anything, that was a smart strategy; the Timberwolves simply had no answers for Zion Williamson. Despite boasting the services of Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, Williamson carved up their defense all night long. Williamson shot 14-21 from the field and 14-19 from the line, proving to be too overwhelming for the opposing defense.
It's scary that the Pelicans are already this good despite not yet being at full strength. Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones were unavailable during their win vs. the Timberwolves, but it was no problem, thanks to Williamson. And with Williamson only being 22 years old, he should only get better from here.
Follow Us
Subscribe