The New Orleans Pelicans have just dodged a major bullet after young star Zion Williamson sustained what looked like a major injury on his right hand during Monday's 115-109 victory over the Boston Celtics.
According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN, Zion's injury has been diagnosed as a sprained thumb on his right hand, and that it is very much possible that the 20-year-old is able to play through the minor knock:
Sources: Pelicans forward Zion Williamson suffered a sprained thumb against the Boston Celtics but avoided a serious injury.
There were fears Zion could have been out for a multiple weeks, but ultimately he shouldn’t miss much – if any – time.
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) March 31, 2021
There was some initial fear that Williamson suffered a significant injury and that he was going to spend an extended period on the shelf. The good news for the Pelicans is that this appears to be nothing more than a minor issue on Zion's non-shooting hand.
For what it's worth, Williamson looked perfectly fine throughout their win against the Celtics on Monday, finishing with 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and four steals in 31 minutes of action. He's been an absolute beast of late.
A long-term injury would have been catastrophic for both Williamson and the Pelicans, who are currently in the midst of an all-out chase for a playoff spot in the West. Things are getting extremely tight in the conference right now, with just three and a half games separating the seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks from the Pelicans, who are currently sitting at the 12th spot in the West (as of Wednesday afternoon). Now would be an awful time to lose their young star to injury as New Orleans hopes to make their first playoff appearance in three years.
Follow Us
Subscribe