Zion Williamson Returns: 14 Points in Pelicans’ Loss to Nuggets

Zion Williamson Returns to the Court: Analysis of the Nuggets vs. Pelicans Game

The New Orleans Pelicans’ star forward, Zion Williamson, made his much-anticipated return after overcoming an injury. He scored 14 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 5 assists in his team’s 125-118 loss against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night. Williamson, who had been out of the courts since being diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain in his left hamstring on November 4, played 29 minutes. In this time, he made 6 of 13 shots and had a +14 plus-minus on the court. In the first seven minutes of the match, Williamson had already scored six points.

“It was great,” commented Pelicans interim coach James Borrego. “He gave us a very good start. His energy, just having Zion on the court for our spirit as a team, as a city, as an organization, is phenomenal. We feel like we have a chance every night when he’s on the court. I think we started the game with that mentality and fought until the end.”

James Borrego, interim coach of the Pelicans

Despite Williamson’s return, the Pelicans suffered their seventh consecutive loss. Rookie center Derik Queen stood out with a career-high 30 points. For the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic finished with 28 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds before fouling out. Peyton Watson shined with 32 points and 12 rebounds, while Aaron Gordon (managing a bilateral hamstring injury) did not participate in the game. Queen attributed the ease of scoring to Williamson’s presence on the field.

“Although I was the top scorer of the game [for the Pelicans], the presence of Z and Trey Murphy is huge,” Queen said. “Having them on the court makes [the Nuggets] pay attention to them and trust me to play my game.”

Derik Queen, Pelicans center

During Williamson’s absence, New Orleans suffered six consecutive defeats and fired coach Willie Green. The Pelicans eagerly await the return of their star, who did not speak to reporters after the game.

“He looked good,” Borrego said. “Impressive. The game plan was built around him and he was a willing passer. He generated a lot of quality shots for us. Really impressed with his first game back.”

James Borrego, Pelicans interim coach