Zion Williamson, the New Orleans Pelicans’ star forward, expressed optimism on Tuesday about potentially returning from a left hamstring injury and joining his team in the playoffs. The Pelicans currently trail the Oklahoma City Thunder 1-0 in their first-round series. “That is definitely realistic. That is absolutely realistic,” Williamson said about returning. “But I’ve got to pass tests, get back to baseline and, hopefully, I’ll be out there.” Williamson suffered the injury during New Orleans’ play-in tournament loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, without their star player, the Pelicans bounced back with a 105-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday, securing the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Despite a history of injuries since entering the NBA in 2019, Williamson remains confident. “I knew something happened and it didn’t feel anything like how it did on the right side (last season),” he said. “The right side was definitely sharper pain. This one didn’t really feel like that. It just felt like, ‘Nah, something’s off right now.’” The 23-year-old Williamson, initially demoralized by the injury, has regained optimism and hopes to bring his regular-season averages of 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists to the playoff series. “At least it’s not like (last season), so just build off that,” Williamson said. The Pelicans face an uphill battle against the top-seeded Thunder, but Williamson’s potential return could be a significant boost as they aim to turn the series around.
Zion Williamson Eyes Playoff Return for New Orleans Pelicans
