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No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson will not play on Tuesday due to right knee soreness as the New Orleans Pelicans face the Sacramento Kings, the team announced.
The Pelicans were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday once they lost to the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Philadelphia 76ers. Williamson recorded 25 points during the loss in a season restart high of 27 minutes played.
Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram will also join Williamson on the inactive list on Tuesday, something Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry on Monday said was precautionary.
Obviously, some of them have been banged up kind most of the season and stuff. So, it’s just a precautionary thing, really. We sat down and just agreed that it’s the right thing to do right now.
Of course, Williamson missed most of the season following surgery on his right knee last year but his inclusion on the injury report does not appear to be serious. The Pelicans have been cautious with Williamson this year and have often placed him on a minutes count during games.
Williamson, who was named a finalist for the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year award, is averaging 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 in 24 games played this season. He is posting 18.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in five games during the season restart.
After playing on Tuesday, Williamson and the Pelicans will play one last game on Thursday against the Orlando Magic before wrapping up the 2019-20 season.
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