Zion Williamson returned to the Pelicans lineup, after missing the team’s last three games, and picked up right where he left off and notched his 25th straight game with over 20 points while shooting at least 50 percent from the floor.
Williamson scored 34 points in the Pelicans 123-107 loss to the Hawks, tying a mark set by Shaquille O’Neal for the longest streak with those numbers.
Williamson said he was just happy to be back on the court after missing a few games.
“I think I was able to get in to a flow pretty quickly,” he said. “I think that goes to my teammates and my coaches, just from always being in my ear and telling me ‘Z just go out there be you. You know we’re behind you. I think that a a big part of it.”
Tuesday’s loss also saw the Pelicans debut of former All-Star Isaiah Thomas. Thomas hadn’t played in an NBA game in more than a year and said “it felt good to be normal out there.”
“The biggest thing was we lost, so it didn’t feel as good at the end of the day,” he said. “But for me, individually, I felt good out there. I was moving. I got to my spots. I just didn’t knock down my shots.
“I’m still gonna be a little rusty from not playing for so long. But coach Stan (Van Gundy) was like ‘Be you. Go out there and be aggressive, make plays, score the ball and we want you to be you.’”
