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New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson recorded 13 points and one assist during the season restart opener on Thursday night during a 106-104 loss to the Utah Jazz.
Williamson entered the contest as a game-time decision but went to work quickly in the first quarter, accounting for the Pelicans’ first five points. His early success was short-lived, though, as Williamson played in three-minute spurts throughout the game to finish with 15 total minutes.
Williamson quickly reconnected with his teammates during the contest after he hooked up with Lonzo Ball on an alley-oop dunk and he even returned the favor after hitting Ball with a behind-the-back pass in the third quarter.
BEHIND THE BACK 😧@Zionwilliamson out here looking like a point guard on the feed to @ZO2_ pic.twitter.com/a8qkpNoD0k
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 31, 2020
Overall, Williamson didn’t play much of a factor in the game after playing only at the beginning of each quarter. He sat for long stretches of the game and never had an opportunity to get into a groove on either end of the floor.
The Pelicans led the Jazz by as many as 16 points but Utah fought back in the final period. Fittingly, after becoming the first player to publicly test positive for the coronavirus, Jazz center Rudy Gobert hit two free throws to seal the win with 6.9 seconds left.
Prior to the matchup, the Pelicans said Williamson would play in short bursts but place a minutes restriction on him. The plan with Williamson was deliberate to ease him back into action so it will be worth monitoring how his workload will change when the Pelicans play next on Saturday.
The Pelicans now trail the Memphis Grizzlies by four games with seven games to play.
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