In the NBA play-offs, the Lakers defeated the Pelicans and Williamson 110-106 in New Orleans. With this victory, the Lakers locked up the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs and faced defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first round.
Zion scored 40 points and left the game with an injury
The Lakers built and lost an 18-point lead, but ultimately prevented the Pelicans from winning. Williamson, who scored a season-high 40 points, returned to the locker room early after suffering a seemingly non-contact injury in the fourth quarter, the extent of which was unclear after the game.
Head coach Willie Green told reporters that Williamson's left leg is sore and that he is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday.
The Pelicans will head into Friday's playout game against the Sacramento Kings or the Golden State Warriors. However, their primary concern is Williamson's health. The winner of Friday's tournament will earn a spot as the eighth seed and face the top seed in the first round.
The Lakers took a huge lead and stopped the Pelicans from rebounding
The Pelicans took the lead in a furious first quarter, with both teams running, with Alvarado and Russell both picking up two technical fouls. New Orleans led 34-26 into the second quarter.
The Pelicans scored first in the quarter as the Lakers went on a 12-0 run to take a 38-36 lead. With the Lakers leading 60-50 at halftime, it seemed like victory was beckoning the Lakers.
But New Orleans fought back in the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to 91-89. With 3:53 left in the game, Williamson scored a dunk to tie the score at 93-93. But with 3:19 left in the game, he left the court after a layup with uncomfortable legs, and the two sides were tied at 95-95.
With Williamson out of the game, the Pelicans' offense and defense were porous, but the Pelicans fought until the end of the game with a stubborn will. With 51.1 seconds left in the game, Russell hit a three-pointer to give the Lakers a 104-100 lead. With 38.2 seconds left in the game, CJ McCollum hit a toss to cut the deficit to two points.
The Pelicans then forced James to shoot from the baseline back, and Davis grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled. With 14.8 seconds left in the game, he hit both free throws to extend the Lakers' lead to 106-102. Los Angeles hit the remaining free throws in the final minute. With the score set at 110-106, they locked up the No. 7 seed and will face the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs.