Duke basketball great Zion Williamson suffers scary fall

Two Duke basketball stars left the New Orleans Pelicans game with injuries.

Author:
Matt Giles
Oct 23, 2022 10:05 PM EDT

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There's no telling if Duke basketball products Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram will miss future games for the New Orleans Pelicans (2-1) due to their injuries in Sunday night's 122-121 home overtime loss against the surprisingly undefeated Utah Jazz (3-0).

With eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson had an impressive block on a Williamson dunk attempt in transition, causing the fourth-year NBA Blue Devil to fall hard on his tailbone.

Williamson exited the game and did not return, not even for overtime, suggesting extreme caution by the Pelicans or something a tad more serious. The 2018-19 Duke basketball one-and-done sat out all last season recovering from a foot injury and was playing in front of a packed home crowd for the first time since his rookie season.

When Williamson fell, the Pelicans trailed by 14 points at 102-88.

Oddly enough, without Williamson or fellow former Duke basketball one-and-done Brandon Ingram, who permanently left the floor in the second quarter with a head injury after colliding with teammate Naji Marshall, the Pelicans rallied back to force the extra five minutes.

Williamson finished with 25 points, six rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and one steal in his 30 minutes of action. Ingram played only 11 minutes before his injury, totaling 10 points, one assist, and one steal.

According to The Athletic's Will Guillory, Pelicans head coach Willie Green said that his decision not to put Zion Williamson back into the game after his fall was injury related.

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