The New Orleans Pelicans have consistently figured out how to beat the Los Angeles Clippers in recent years, as they have developed effective strategies to defeat them. Friday night’s matchup seemed to be more than a regular season game, as both teams are headed towards a potential first-round matchup in the playoffs. Zion Williamson knows this, and the result was one of his best games of the season.

This game carried added importance for the Clippers due to their recent struggles against the Pelicans, as they have lost 11 of their last 15 matchups. Despite their efforts to pull off a rally in this one, Los Angeles couldn't overcome Williamson and the Pelicans, with New Orleans picking up a 112-104 victory.

“I'm a competitor. I want to win, simple as that… They can take it like they want, I just want to win” asserted Williamson in a postgame interview after his standout performance in which he tallied 34 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Without his big performance, there's a decent chance New Orleans wouldn't have found a way to win this contest.

Zion Williamson too tough for Clippers to handle in latest meeting

While some of his teammates struggled, Williamson had no problem scoring at will against Los Angeles. “We just struggled with containing Zion to a degree,” said Paul George, who led the Clippers with 26 points, six assists, and five rebounds. “That's something we've got to figure out.”

Williamson hit his stride in the third quarter, dominating the Clippers with unstoppable efficiency. He converted all seven of his attempts, effortlessly racking up 16 points in the frame. In what seemed to be the play of the night, the former Duke standout raced down the court in a lightning-fast 3.5 seconds, capping it off with a layup right before the buzzer sounded to end the quarter.

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Reggie Miller saying "Shai scorchin' the Pels!" with Shai shooting over Herb Jones

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The Clippers threw everything but the kitchen sink at him, experimenting with different defenders on Williamson, including Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac, P.J. Tucker, and Mason Plumlee, but none of them were successful in containing Williamson’s rampage.

Struggling against Williamson isn’t new for the Clippers, as they have faced difficulties containing him in all three of their losses to New Orleans. Williamson has been particularly effective against them this year, averaging 29 points on 54.8% shooting in New Orleans' victories over LA. In their sole loss against the Clippers, though, he scored only 12 points.

The Pelicans' victory brought their record to 40-26 on the season, which is good for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. If Williamson can keep playing at this high level, they could end up going on quite a run come playoff time.