After a fairly mundane opening three quarters in which he struggled in his debut, Zion Williamson had one of the most memorable fourth quarters in recent NBA history on Wednesday against the Spurs. The rookie forward scored 17 of his 21 points in a span of 3:08 in the middle of the fourth quarter, helping the Pelicans overturn a deficit in the process.
While Williamson, who was on a minutes restriction on the night, checked out of the game shortly after his explosion, it was a wild exclamation point to a rocky night in his first game in the NBA. However, it wasn’t surprising to see him off the pace in his debut.
After the game, Ball spoke to reporters about Williamson’s debut and the advice he gave him prior to the game.
“I wouldn’t even call it struggling. This is his first game. He told me before the game even started he was going to ease his way into it. I told him ‘Get a feel for it and go from there.’ In the fourth (quarter), I think he was comfortable and they were sagging off of him so he was just taking the shot.”
Williamson shot 8-of-11 from the field overall and 4-of-4 from three-point territory and 2-fo-4 from the line. He added seven rebounds and three assists. He became the 10th player in league history to have at least 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists in his debut in the process.
His debut brought with it a host of excitement and a packed house in the Smoothie King Center. His outburst in the fourth quarter brought with it an explosion from the home crowd in arguably the best atmosphere of the season for the Pelicans. Ball also spoke about the hometown fans and their role in the comeback on the night.
“I think the energy was there from warm-ups. That’s the most people I’ve seen coming out before the game even started. They were ready to go tonight and they helped us get back in the game for sure.”
While all the efforts came in a loss on the night, it was a sign of what is to come. The Pelicans are nearing full strength for the first time this season and with Williamson in the fold, a run could soon be in the cards for New Orleans.