Zion Williamson Reacts to CJ McCollum’s Big Night vs. Sixers
Going into the Friday night matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Philadelphia 76ers knew they would have their hands full with the powerhouse that is Zion Williamson. Ever since the former Duke product got healthy, he’s been able to perform consistently and is hitting his stride.
But Zion wasn’t the only player the Sixers had to slow down on Friday. Former Portland Trail Blazers standout and current Pelicans leader CJ McCollum has always been a shooting threat since he shared the court with Damian Lillard in his previous stop.
On Friday night, McCollum introduced the Pelicans version of himself to the Sixers for the first time, and it was a night to remember if you’re a Pelicans fan and one to forget if you root for Philly.
All night long, McCollum had it going. In the first quarter, he led the Pelicans in scoring, draining two of his five three-point attempts, scoring eight points in ten minutes. In the second quarter, McCollum was sharp as ever, knocking down five of his six shot attempts from beyond the arc.
The veteran sharpshooter finished the first half with 23 points in 17 minutes. At that point, he had already knocked down seven three-pointers, creeping up on his career-high.
With Portland, McCollum established a career-high of nine three-pointers in one outing. He tied that number in the third quarter of Friday’s game by knocking down two more.
When the fourth quarter rolled around, McCollum exceeded his career-high before eventually breaking the Pelicans’ franchise record for three-pointers made in a single game. With 11 threes, McCollum etched himself in Pelicans history. After the game, Zion Williamson pointed out the most impressive factor of McCollum’s big night in the star’s eyes.
"None of the 3s looked forced," Williamson said via ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. "I think that's what made it look so beautiful. None of his shots looked forced. They were all in rhythm and all within the offense."
There were no unbelievable heat check moments on Friday. McCollum established a rhythm for himself, and the Sixers did him favors by struggling with turnovers in transition and having a tough night defensively. The veteran got a lot of favorable looks, and he made the Sixers pay.
Overall, McCollum wrapped up the Friday night battle with 42 total points in 35 minutes. Only four of his points from the field came from two-pointers, and five more were produced from the charity stripe. His contributions helped the Pelicans take out the Sixers with a 127-116 victory.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
