Zion Williamson injury update: Pelicans receive worst possible news for Play-In final

Zion Williamson was finally healthy for the playoffs. He dominated the New Orleans Pelicans' Play-In game against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 40 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists on 17-of-27 shooting in 36 minutes. And then, with a shade over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Williamson drove the lane and planted his left leg awkwardly. He exited the game and the Pelicans lost.

New Orleans' season is on the line Friday against the Sacramento Kings. The winner gets the No. 8 seed and a chance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. Unfortunately, Williamson will not be available. It's a crushing blow for the Pelicans and for Williamson, who worked hard to stay healthy and get to this point in the season after years of persistent injury woes.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Williamson suffered a left hamstring injury and will be reevaluated in the coming weeks. Even if the Pelicans scrape by the Kings, it doesn't sound like Williamson would suit up for New Orleans' first round series, either.

Pelicans dealt worst imaginable Zion Williamson injury update ahead of Kings matchup

Again, this just sucks. Williamson has dealt with injuries for virtually his entire career. This was his first season with 70 games played. He embraced different roles, worked on his body, and delivered results worthy of fringe MVP candidacy. During the regular season, Williamson averaged 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 57.0 percent shooting.

The Pelicans' path forward is unclear. This places a greater burden on Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, both of whom were benched late in Tuesday's loss to the Lakers. We have seen Ingram and McCollum buoy New Orleans in the past — this Pels team is unfortunately very used to playing without Zion — but the Kings have all the momentum after smacking the Golden State Warriors, 118-94, in their first Play-In game.

If the Pels squeak past the Kings, OKC should dispatch them quickly without Zion creating matchup advantages in the paint. It could honestly be in New Orleans' best long-term interest to lose Friday's game, enter the NBA Draft lottery, and hope for the best. We can expect Brandon Ingram trade buzz to pick up in the offseason as New Orleans attempts to decipher the best path forward, but the constant fear of injuries with Zion could prevent the Pelicans from fully building around him.

Hopefully Zion can use the offseason to get healthy and get back on the right track. The Pelicans are one healthy Williamson campaign away from a potentially deep run in the Western Conference Playoffs.