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Despite an incredible fourth quarter from Zion Williamson, one in which he tallied 17 points in a little over three minutes, the San Antonio Spurs controlled the majority of Wednesday’s game and came away with a 121-117 win.
The Good: Zion is back!
It was a dud of a three quarters followed by one of the greatest fourth quarter runs in recent memory. He scored 17 straight points, hit all four of his three-point attempts and pulled the Pelicans not just back into the game but into the lead. It was everything anyone could have hoped from his return to the lineup all inside of about a four-minute span.
The Pelicans were insistent on bringing him along slowly and it was the right call. During his fourth quarter run, Alvin Gentry called two separate subs back from the scorer’s table that were going to check in for Williamson. He played longer than anticipated and had a memorable debut. But one game isn’t worth the risk of a season-ending injury.
The Bad: The broadcast crew
Boy oh boy was it a terrible night for Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. In one of the most anticipated games of the year, the two could not have missed the mark more if they tried.
In the first quarter, the topics ranged from a long discussion on Williamson’s weight to Luka Doncic and Ja Morant with little time spent on the game itself. The rest of the game was hardly any better. Both openly criticized the Pelicans’ minutes restriction on Williamson, particularly after his torrid fourth. Both openly mocked analytics at different points.
It was as out of touch as the two have seemed in some time. With so many eyes on the game, it was as loud a signal as there has been that these two are no longer the best in the business.
The Ball: A double-double
Lonzo Ball had a quiet but effective night. He finished with 14 points and 12 assists to go with eight rebounds and three steals in 39 minutes of action. He made the right call in the fourth by feeding the hot hand and getting Williamson the ball by any means possible.
He hit 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and got to the line four times in the first quarter, hitting three of his attempts.