After the Pelicans Game 1 loss to Thunder, many NOLA fans were begging Zion Williamson to save them and he might be able to do just that.
The updates on a left hamstring strain that he suffered on April 16 have been pretty disheartening, up until now.
Zion says there is a chance he could return this postseason.
“That is definitely realistic,” Zion told reporters on Tuesday. “That is absolutely realistic. But like I said, I got to pass the tests and get back to baseline, and hopefully I’ll be out there.”
Williamson felt his hamstring injury happen when he jumped up and scored over Lakers big man Anthony Davis, to take his total score for that night up to 40 points.
The Pels were in the midst of an 18-point comeback, but went down 110-106 to LA as momentum shifted when Zion left the court.
“It was super frustrating, especially at that point in the game,” Williamson said. “But my team, my teammates, they handled business, and here we are in the playoffs, so that’s still exciting. I’m excited for them, and hopefully I’ll be able to return to the court.”
The Pelicans forward has struggled with countless injuries in the past, but he seemed to be on a good track after recording a career-high 70 games this season.
So, Zion admitted the timing of the injury was less than ideal.
“Super demoralizing at first, can’t lie,” Williamson said. “The season had been going so well, so for that to happen, it definitely was demoralizing. But I took a day or two to get past that, and now I’m back on what I’ve been saying all year, stacking my days and getting back on the court.”
Zion’s actions show he is certainly motivated to get back on the court, since he was in the weight room working on his strength and conditioning more than an hour practice on Tuesday.
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