Will Zion Williamson Play Against the Thunder in Game 2?Zion Williamson (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

In the thrilling opening game of their first-round series, the New Orleans Pelicans’ reliance on Zion Williamson was made clear. The Oklahoma City Thunder put too much pressure on the team, and they gave a lackluster road effort in the 92-94 loss.

The fans were alarmed by this atypical blemish and prayed that the 22-year-old would appear in Game 2. But the most recent injury report depicted an even more dire picture for the visiting team. Williamson had a left hamstring injury during the 7/8 Play-in Tournament matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, and the problem still bothers him.

Sharp pain may have resulted from edema surrounding the wounded region caused by the ailment. Therefore, he is marked as “Out” for the forthcoming game.

Given the franchise’s reliance on Zion Williamson, this revelation worsened their concerns. In the regular season, the Pelicans had an impressive 7-5 run without the services of the two-time All-Star. According to StatMuse, the team has often struggled to match his 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, five assists, and 1.1 steals per game.

Zion Williamson Reflects on His Impact on Team After the Game 1 Post-Match Conference

Given the present situation, their prospects of making a deep postseason run have significantly decreased. Even Zion Williamson started to become irritated by this. After the most recent loss, the native of North Carolina openly expressed his frustration, saying,

“I really love hooping so it was bittersweet for me cause the whole time I just kept envisioning myself out there, my impact on the game”.

But without their talisman, the Pelicans must find new on-court strategies for Game 2. In these conditions, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, the team’s numbers two and three, must step up to maintain their aspirations of winning the series.

Interestingly, the two had accomplished just that against the Sacramento Kings to guarantee the Louisiana team a postseason berth. So, the fans can only hope such a performance will be repeated in the next game.