Why is Zion Williamson not playing tonight against Sacramento Kings? Latest injury update for Pelicans forward (April 19

Zion Williamson exited the LA Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans Play-In Tournament game. Now, he is out in the play-in game against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

The two-time NBA All-Star suffered a left hamstring injury in the fourth quarter against the Lakers, which will keep him out of Friday's game. According to NBA Insider Adrain Wojnarowski, Williamson will be re-evaluated in a few weeks.

The Pelicans lost their first Play-In Tournament game, 106-110, to LeBron James and the Lakers. Despite trailing by double digits, the Pelicans rallied behind Williamson's 40-point performance. However, after Zion Williamson left the game, the Lakers sealed the game in the final minutes.

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Williamson faced heavy media backlash after his poor performance against the Lakers earlier in the In-Season Tournament Semifinal. However, this time around, he gave his best, scoring 40 points on 17 of 27 shots from the field. He also notched 11 rebounds, a steal, five assists and a block in 36 minutes.

As for the Pelicans, they will go shorthanded against the Sacramento Kings to fight for the eighth spot in the Western Conference. Entering the game without their best players, the Pelicans are certainly underdogs.

What happened to Zion Williamson against the Lakers?

Zion Williamson's monster night suffered a big setback when he went down with the injury in the late fourth quarter.

By halftime, the Pelicans seemed to be out of the game before Willamson willed his team into the game, especially in the late fourth quarter.

With just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Lakers star LeBron James was defending Willaimson. With a screen from Larry Nance Jr., Williamson had Davis in front of him. He drove to the rim and scored with a floater.

However, once he landed on his feet, he was seen limping in pain. The Pelican star immediately signaled toward the Pelicans’ bench. He tried to stay on the court, but after the timeout from the Lakers, he was seen frustrated while walking toward the locker room.

While the Lakers won the game and got the seventh seed in the West, the Pelicans will have to play against the Kings for the eighth spot. Zion Williamson has averaged over 24 points against the Kings in his career and his absence will have a significant impact on the result.