“Lack of Spirit”: Zion Williamson Unhappy after Pelicans’ Elimination from the Playoffs

New Orleans Pelicans have lost their bid to make it to the NBA playoffs in 2020. They now stand at 30-40 and ranked 12th in the Western Conference. The Orlando Bubble has given them four losses against just two victories till now. Zion Williamson is sure to miss playoffs in his rookie year. 

The importance of the Spurs game was that of a Game 7. Pelicans used Zion for 27 minutes in which he could contribute a handsome 25 points and 7 rebounds. JJ Redick supported him with an impressive 31 points, but nothing was enough. 

Zion Williamson dejected over the loss against Spurs

Zanos entered the court at the beginning of every quarter, left, and joined again in the middle. But in the decisive quarter, he was pulled out just shy of 6th minute and could again play with just more than a couple of minutes remaining in the match. 

However, their slow start put a dent in the comeback hustle. At one point, Spurs were 69-49 ahead in the game. Zion spoke about this in the post-game media conference, “Something that’s not acceptable and you know that lack of spirit in the first half really dictates the second half and if we would have came out better, maybe we would have a different outcome. So like I always say you just got to learn from that experience and just be better.” Earlier, Zion had shown his disappointment over the restricted number of minutes they allowed him to play.

It was a crucial game for both the sides

Dejounte Murray, one of the most improved NBA players in 2020, dropped 18 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. DeMar DeRozan added 27 points, and Spurs won their much-needed fourth game. This win against the Pelicans gave Spurs a hope that they can still fight for their bid to make it into their 23rd straight playoff in as many years.

Zion’s knee/lower leg injury kept him off the roster for a large part in his rookie season. He could play only 24 games and missed 46 games for the Pelicans. Perhaps this stripped the Pelicans off their edge before the pandemic halted the season. Still, their weak defense needs to be checked in the remaining games. They will next play the Sacramento Kings (also officially out of the playoffs race) on August 11th, at 9:00 PM ET.

Read also – Zion Williamson Reveals His Disappointment and Frustration Over His Current Situation With the Pelicans

Sources – Basketball reference, New Orleans Pelicans – YouTube