Zion Williamson to Miss Pelicans' Second Play-In Game; OKC Thunder Implications?

How does Zion Williamson's injury impact the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs?

Apr 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) gets / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Some big, indirect news regarding the Thunder in the playoffs surfaced on Wednesday.

After the Oklahoma City Thunder secured the No. 1 seed, they had nothing to do but wait. They got a one-week break, with their first playoff contest coming Sunday evening, and they don't even know their opponent.

For example, the Thunder had a watch party for the Play-In Tournament on Monday night, watching their future opponent work their way through the tournament.

The first round of Play-In Tournament games for the Western Conference have been played. The Los Angeles Lakers took down the New Orleans Pelicans in the 7/8 matchup, with the Sacramento Kings advancing and sending the Golden State Warriors home.

With the Lakers snagging the No. 7 seed, they'll take on the No. 2-seeded Denver Nuggets in a Western Conference Finals rematch from a season ago. The Thunder will play the winner of the Pelicans and Kings Play-In matchup.

On Wedneday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Williamson is going to miss the matchup with a left hamstring injury for the elimination game. He scored 40 points and secured 11 rebounds last night in the Pelicans' loss to the Lakers.

No matter the outcome on Friday, this has a big impact for Oklahoma City. The Kings now have a much easier path to victory, securing a seven-game series against the Thunder. If the Pelicans, led by Brandon Ingram in Williamson's absence, can win the contest, the Pelicans superstar could miss some of the series with his injury.

The injury has a ripple effect that directly impacts the Thunder and their potential opponent in the first round, which many in the media think the team could very well lose. Dodging Stephen Curry and the Warriors or LeBron James and the Lakers already did plenty for the Thunder, but Williamson's injury shakes things up even more.

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