Pelicans dodge bullet following latest Zion Williamson update with Play-In anxiety high

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson suffered a finger injury late in the first half of their 117-108 loss to the Orlando Magic late on Wednesday night but looked no worse for wear and played close to his usual minutes load. However, his middle left finger had tape around it at the postgame press conference, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN. 

The timing could not be worse for a Pelicans team that has fallen to seventh place in the Western Conference after losing four of their past five games as they desperately try to secure a top-six seed with hopes of avoiding the NBA Play-In Tournament.

But recent reporting suggests that Williamson and New Orleans have dodged a bullet amid anxiety about being relegated to play-in status at an all-time high. 

Pelicans star Zion Williamson avoids serious finger injury

Williamson has been deemed day-to-day because of a contusion on his left middle finger. Pelicans head coach Willie Green said X-rays and scans showed no structural damage. The two-time All-Star will be listed as questionable for New Orleans’ next game on Friday versus the San Antonio Spurs, per the official injury report of the NBA.

Despite logging 29 minutes, Williamson was not on the floor for the final 7-plus minutes of the fourth quarter. Green admitted it was because of the previously-mentioned finger ailment after the game.

Lopez points out that this is the play Williamson said he hurt his finger, attempting to block Magic guard Jalen Suggs on a transition layup:

Alas, it appears that Williamson should return to action sooner rather than later based on the information at hand, which bodes well for the Pelicans. Sitting at 45-31, New Orleans ceded the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot in the West to the Phoenix Suns following the loss to Orlando. But the eighth-place Sacramento Kings are only half a game behind in the race for the No. 6 seed.

Williamson has averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 58.1 percent from the field this season, appearing in a career-high 65 contests after logging only 114 games played through his first four years as a pro.