Zion Williamson has the reputation of being one of the strongest players in the league. With his brute force and massive size, Zion has established himself as a threat in the paint while also possessing efficient shooting abilities.
Yesterday, Zion’s Pelicans and the Miami Heat got into a heated altercation towards the beginning of the fourth quarter. Soon after the game, the young superstar set the record straight regarding the incidents that occurred in between the Heat and Pelicans game.
Zion Williamson clears air on Kevin Love foul
Things got heated in the fourth quarter of the Miami Heat’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans after Heat star Kevin Love’s foul against Zion Williamson. When Jimmy Butler of the Heat cut off Pelicans star Naji Marshall as he approached Zion, a brawl broke out.
All hell broke loose when the two stars started their feud, surrounded by players of both teams heavily arguing and physically engaging amongst themselves. While Williamson and Love separated themselves from the commotion, players from both teams fought on their behalf. The altercation was broken up by the staff members of both, who decided enough was enough.
However, members of both teams once again locked horns causing widespread commotion and leaving the commentators clueless as to what was happening. Decided to call an end to the fight, the game officials promptly intervened before the situation could get worse and swiftly ejected four players, the orchestrators of chaos from either team. Naji Marshall, Jose Alvarado, Thomas Bryant, and Jimmy Butler were all ejected before play continued.
Soon after the game which was won by the Miami Heat, Pelicans star Zion Williamson addressed the media regarding the incident, clearing the air on the Kevin Love foul which marked the beginning of the heavily-contested brawl. Addressing the incident, Williamson said, ““I wasn’t tripping about K-Love because he actually protected me on my fall. All of a sudden I see [Jimmy] Butler kind of lunging toward Naji [Marshall], so I’m trying to get there like, ‘Yo, relax, like what’s going on?’” Displaying his sportsmanship, Williamson did not blame Love for any of the incidents that transpired due to Love’s foul on the player.
Zion Williamson’s performances for Pelicans this NBA season
This season, Zion Williamson has not been able to play at his usual best and has been playing below the standards that he set in his initial few years in the league. Starting in all 46 games for the Pelicans, Williamson has also been subject to heavy criticism that has been dawned on him by various analysts and basketball experts, such as Stephen A. Smith, who bashed the player for his performances this season.
Playing in his fourth season, Zion is currently averaging a modest 22.5 points per game, along with 5 assists and 5.5 rebounds. The star is also shooting 58% from the field, while shooting 36.4% from the arc. Zion’s averages this year are similar to his rookie season, where he averaged the same exact points per game. Zion’s falling performances are a cause for concern for the New Orleans Pelicans, who are heavily reliant on the player to run their offense. Both Zion Williamson and the Pelicans will hope for a steep increase in the player’s performances as the team battles for success in the final stretch of the season before the playoffs.
What are your thoughts on the brawl between the Heat and the Pelicans? What should the Pelicans do regarding Zion Williamson? Will Williamson improve this season? We are eager to know your thoughts on the topic, so feel free to comment below.
