The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t get a chance to see the New Orleans Pelicans phenomenon, Zion Williamson, in his 2019-2020 rookie season. He was injured in the only game the teams had in December 2019 and the second game was wiped out due to the season suspension.
They got a full taste of the now sophomore star from Duke on Friday.
Williamson was a beast all night long, with 37 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Pelicans to a 101-94 victory. He was aggressive all night and shot 15-for-28 and he was 7-for-11 off the line because he set the tone for them all night.
“He’s just growing up,” said coach Doc Rivers. “He is so young, but his speed and strength are unseen. We did a terrible job with him tonight. We gave him every angle and everything he wanted, but you have to be great to get him. I thought Zion took advantage of every mistake we made tonight. “
Tobias Harris was one of the many other defenders who played against him in this game and he was amazed at how physical he was.
“37 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, that’s a challenge, to be fair,” said Harris. “He’s physically as gifted as they come, and his physicality and the way he can use his athleticism to go downhill, make powerful plays, it’s huge. I mean, this was our first game against them this year – against him actually, but he’s the real deal. “
It really was the way Williamson scored. He ended up around Joel Embiid, he drifted through Harris and Ben Simmons, and he was nimble enough to take down a few floats too. It was just a great achievement for him.
“He has the size and the speed and the agility out there to play downhill that it was tough for us all night,” added Harris. “When I bring up physicality, it’s real, but that’s a strong guy coming your way.”
It was clear that the Sixers had no answers for him all night and it was a great performance for him. Rivers will give credit where it should, but he won’t be happy with him either after his team lost.
“He played great, and he’s a great kid,” Rivers concluded. ‘I know him a little bit. I wasn’t really happy for him tonight, but he’s a burden. You must have a game plan, and you must have the right game plan to deal with him. “
The Sixers are now continuing their road trip against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.
This post originally appeared on Sixers WireFollow us on Facebook