Former Duke basketball forward Zion Williamson (Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports)
Duke Basketball Great Almost Perfect in Pelicans Win
On Wednesday night, while the Duke basketball team was struggling in its eventual 80-75 loss at Arkansas in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge, former Blue Devil forward Zion Williamson rose to the challenge — and then some — for the New Orleans Pelicans in their 124-114 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Williamson, who went No. 1 overall to the Pelicans at the 2019 NBA Draft following his electrifying one-and-done campaign in Durham, finished the contest with 33 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals, and only two turnovers and one foul across his 33 minutes on the floor. He shot 11-for-12 from the field and 11-for-12 at the charity stripe.
Speaking of his efficiency as a scorer, it marked the 23-year-old's eighth straight outing shooting better than 50 percent from the field. The Pelicans, now 10-9 overall this season, won six of those games.
Through his 15 games as a fifth-year pro, Zion Williamson is averaging 24.0 points and 5.9 boards, along with his career-high 4.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He's shooting 56.7 percent from the field, 50.0 percent beyond the arc (only four attempts), and 64.9 percent at the line.
As for the other one-and-done Duke basketball product in New Orleans' starting five, forward Brandon Ingram tallied 15 points, four rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, and only one turnover and one foul in his 35 minutes against the 76ers.
The 26-year-old Ingram, a former No. 2 overall draft pick, has played 16 games this season. He's tied with Williamson as the team's top weapon on offense, scoring 24.0 points per game while chipping in 5.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and the Pelicans next host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball news.