As Zion Williamson drove to the hoop for his 40th point in a play-in loss to the Lakers and pulled up with an injury, he said he knew two things.
One was that his left hamstring strain felt familiar. The other was that it was not as severe as the one he suffered on the opposite side a year ago, one that ultimately ended his season.
"Since I did it to my right leg last year, I was able to tell instantly that it was something," Williamson said, speaking to reporters Tuesday for the first time since the injury. "I didn’t know exactly what it was, but I definitely was able to tell it was something in that area.”
The Pelicans fell in that game, but Williamson's teammates took care of business later in the week to punch a ticket to the postseason and a showdown with the top-seeded Thunder. The star forward was in attendance for Game 1, a hard-fought game that came down the wire but ended in a 94-92 loss when CJ McCollum's game-winning attempt from 3 clanked off the rim.
"I really love hooping, so, you know, it was bittersweet for me, if I’m being honest. It was really bittersweet, because the whole time I just kept like envisioning myself out there, my impact on the game," Williamson said, "but at the same time I had to put aside my personal feelings and be there for my teammates. But the energy was great. OKC’s fans really came out and it was a playoff environment.”
Related
Dealing with multiple injuries throughout his career, this is the third consecutive season Williamson is rehabbing during a potential playoff run. This time feels different though, both mentally and physically.
"It was tougher in the past, because, you know, nobody knew what I was going through, but everybody had an opinion it, which was crazy to me," Williamson said. "But with this, I’ve got a great circle around me, my teammates, the staff, so it’s not even close to that.”
The next question will be how quickly Zion can get back on the court, and whether there will still be meaningful games to be played when that happens. The star forward said a return is "realistic," though the initial timeline from the team would indicate that a few wins without Zion would be necessary for that to happen.
The Pelicans' initial release said that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks after the injury. If that holds, the earliest return would be May 1, the scheduled date of a Game 5. If necessary, Game 6 would be on May 3, with Game 7 scheduled for May 5.
Related
“[The injury was] super demoralizing at first. I can’t lie. You know, the season had been going so well, so for that to happen, just definitely was demoralizing," Williamson said, "but took a day or two to kind of get past that and now I’m back on what I’ve been saying all year, stacking my days and getting back on the court.”
The Pelicans and Thunder will face off in Game 2 on Wednesday in Oklahoma City, followed by Games 3 and 4 in New Orleans on Saturday and Monday.