'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Two of the most exciting NBA Draft picks in Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett went head-to-head in Las Vegas when the New York Knicks met the New Orleans Pelicans for a high-stakes Summer League matchup. Former teammates and friends at the University of Duke, fans paid as high as $400 for lower bowl tickets to see these two clash on NBA soil for the first time.
In attendance at courtside were megastars such as LeBron James and his newest teammate Anthony Davis along with Floyd Mayweather and Zion's teammates Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, who headlined a crowd of prominent names that turned out for the game.
The Thomas & Mack Center was packed through all of its 17,500 seats and some 1,000 media credentials were issued as well for this thrilling showdown.
While the Pelicans ran out eventual winners with a scoreline of 80-74, the game incorporated various storylines, some of which may have far-reaching repercussions. Let's skim through a bunch of key takeaways from this Knicks-Pelicans battle that was disrupted by an unprecedented turn of events.
#1 Earthquake puts a stop to the much-anticipated summer league clash
Around the 7:53 mark of the final quarter, everybody in the crowd including the commentary staff felt tremors strong enough to shake the ground beneath them, literally. The referees called a stop to the contest as the players resigned to their respective benches while a major portion of the spectators headed for the exits.
"The report from the United States Geological Society is saying that that Earthquake was 7.1," ESPN's Doris Burke said on air of the third earthquake in less than two days on the West Coast. "That is significant, no question."
Both the high-hanging speakers as well as the jumbotron kept swaying dangerously as the onlookers watched. The stadium authorities waited for the apparatus to settle down in order to resume the game which stood at a 74-80 scoreline in the favour of the Pelicans.
Eventually, both the teams started heading to their locker rooms and the official announcement was made.
If the initially reported magnitude is correct, this would be the largest Southern California quake in 20 years.
#2 Much to the dismay of the fans, Zion takes a knee in the first half and is benched
There was no doubt that Coach Alvin Gentry would be extra protective with his priced first overall pick during his debut Summer League game. And when Zion took a knee-to-knee hit in the first half itself, he was not taking any more chances from that point.
As a result, Williamson's knee was wrapped in ice packs and he warmed the bench for the rest of the game. Expectedly so, the crowd at the Thomas & Mack center felt betrayed.
Originally, the rookie sensation was suppposed to play 24-28 minutes at the very least but ended up crashing out of the game after just 9 minutes of playtime. He scored 11 points - 10 of which came in the first quarter itself - on 4-of-9 shooting from the floor along with 3 rebounds. He shot and missed both of his three-pointers on the night.
"With Zion, just seeing him his first game and how explosive he is and getting to talk to him," Teammate Jrue Holiday said on ESPN, "it seems like a very good career ahead."
#3 RJ Barrett exhibits an uncharacteristic shooting slump; Frank Jackson soars for 30
Barrett has been projected to be the face of the Knicks franchise for the foreseeable future. But the way things unfolded in his debut NBA game, he didn't look as promising as everyone expected. He had to wait until the end of the first quarter to record his first bucket on the professional landscape.
Before the fourth and the last period commenced, RJ had shot a miserable 4-of-17 from the field including an abysmal 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. He finished with just 10 points for his team as they trailed by 6 at the abrupt halt of the game.
On the other hand, 21-year-old Frank Jackson of the Pelicans stepped up and took serious advantage of the free spotlight. He exploded for a game-high score of 30 points on an impressive 11-of-17 shooting night from the floor - which included 5 three-pointers as well.
