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New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson will reportedly not play on Friday night against the Washington Wizards, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The game on Friday is the second in as many days after the Pelicans lost to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. Williamson recorded 24 points in 22 minutes played during the 140-125 loss and played in 5-6 minutes bursts throughout the game.
Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said this week that the team would take a wait-and-see approach to Williamson’s playing time during the back-to-back set. The organization has taken a cautious approach to his minutes during the season restart and has prioritized his long-term health.
Pelicans’ Zion Williamson will sit out tonight against Washington to rest on second half of back-to-back, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 7, 2020
Williamson looked to play the best he has during the restart on Thursday but it is still clear that his conditioning has not fully returned to where it was prior to the season shut down. With the Pelicans facing a tough task to qualify for the postseason, the team decided to hold Williamson out on Friday.
The Pelicans and Wizards will tip-off at 8 p.m. ET.
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