The New Orleans Pelicans’ quest for the last West playoffs spot took a slight detour Sunday night as the Los Angeles Lakers grabbed the win, 122-114. All were not dim for the Pelicans, however, as first overall pick Zion Williamson continued a historic run with a career-high 35 points, his third 30-point performance in his first 15 games.

The Pelicans rookie joined Allen Iverson, who had five such games, and Michael Jordan with six as the only three players to do so in the last 35 seasons.

Williamson also bulldozed his way to the paint throughout most of the game, taking zero attempts from three. By the end of the matchup, Zion had his sixth game with more than 20 points in the restricted area. The last rookie to do so was Blake Griffin, who had seven.

The 19-year-old also posted seven rebounds but turned the ball over six times. His productive night was spoiled by LeBron James, who dominated offensively for L.A. to compensate for teammate Anthony Davis’ absence. The King posted a triple-double at 34 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds to give the Lakers their 46th win.

Regardless, Williamson has been terrific for the Pelicans. The rookie is currently posting 23.4 points and 6.8 rebounds, and is being included in Rookie of the Year talks despite starting the season late. Many have even argued that his chances would further skyrocket if the Pelicans make a late run for the playoffs.

In fact, New Orleans merely needs to maintain their current pace when they host 17-42 Minnesota on Tuesday night to keep alive their hopes for playoff contention.