The New Orleans Pelicans made it two from two in pre-season, securing a thrilling 127-125 comeback win over the Chicago Bulls, led by a powerhouse performance from Zion Williamson.
All eyes were on the no.1 pick and he more than put on a show, recording a game-high 29 points on 12-of-13 shooting, four rebounds and four assists in just 27 minutes on court....doing the bulk of the damage at the rim.
"Zion's gonna need a more complete game, NBA post defenders are much better than college"
— Paid man gets bored (@cjzero) October 10, 2019
Zion: pic.twitter.com/Us6oF7w4oo
Williamson tormented the Bulls defence, using his size and skill to get into the lane with ease. His willingness to attack the paint in space and beat defenders off the dribble, created plenty of scoring opportunities, with the Bulls struggling to contain him once he got anywhere near the rim.
Following an impressive debut against Atlanta in his first pre-season game, Williamson again showed how damaging he and the Pelicans can be in transition, as he combined with point guard Lonzo Ball on several highlight reel plays.
Ball scored just two points on the night, but was in the thick of the action with nine assists, four rebounds and four steals.
🌪️ ZION 360 SLAM 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/YVa3poE5kV
— NBA (@NBA) October 10, 2019
The Pelicans trailed by as many as 23 points in the second half, before a monster 41-18 fourth quarter helped secure the comeback win.
For the Bulls, Zach LaVine led them in scoring with 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-7 from the three-point line.
💪 @Zionwilliamson fuels the @PelicansNBA victory with a game-high 29 PTS on 12-for-13 shooting!#NBARooks x #NBAPreseason pic.twitter.com/VcNNfgzN56
— NBA (@NBA) October 10, 2019
The Pelicans are back in action on Saturday, when they take on the Utah Jazz at the Smoothie King Center.