Why is Zion Williamson not playing tonight against OKC Thunder? Latest injury update on Pelicans' All-Star for Game 2 (April 24)

The New Orleans Pelicans will be without All-Star forward Zion Williamson for the highly anticipated Game 2 of the Western Conference’s round one of the playoffs against the OKC Thunder on Wednesday.

Williamson's intuition signaled trouble as he ascended for a shot that marked his 40th point during the April 16 Play-In Tournament clash against the LA Lakers, prompting him to signal to the sideline for assistance.

A subsequent diagnosis revealed a left hamstring strain, sidelining Zion Williamson for the start of New Orleans' first-round Western Conference playoff series against Oklahoma City. However, despite the setback, the 23-year-old remains optimistic about his potential return during the playoff series. Should he recover in time, it would mark his debut in NBA playoff action this spring.

On Tuesday, Williamson was questioned by reporters about his prospects of returning to uniform during the playoffs.

"It's absolutely realistic, but like I said, I have to pass tests," Williamson said on whether he can play in the postseason.

The injury from a week ago was described by the two-time All-Star as "demoralizing," particularly considering his achievement of appearing in a career-best 70 games during the regular season.

Notably, he managed to avoid being listed as "Did Not Play" in consecutive games throughout the entire 82-game schedule.

What happened to Zion Williamson?

During the New Orleans Pelicans' Western Conference Play-In Tournament clash with the LA Lakers, Zion Williamson exited toward the locker room with just 3:13 remaining in regulation during the Pelicans' 110-106 defeat. Zion was observed nursing an injury as he departed the court.

His discomfort became evident after completing a layup over Lakers' center Anthony Davis, prompting him to seek further evaluation and treatment in the locker room.

Williamson remained sidelined for the remainder of the game, opting not to return to action. Despite his absence, his impact on the court was undeniable, as he tallied an impressive 40 points on 17 of 27 shooting.

Prior to his hamstring injury, Zion Williamson faced another setback during a game against the Orlando Magic. Despite scoring 15 points, Williamson encountered trouble when he injured his left-hand finger in the latter part of the second quarter on April 3.

The injury occurred while attempting to block Jalen Suggs' layup. Even after the setback, Williamson returned to play portions of the third and fourth quarters, seemingly avoiding further harm.

However, his return was short-lived. He was accidentally tripped by Magic guard Gary Harris, prompting trainers to escort him to the locker room for a finger check-up. Nonetheless, Williamson returned to the game and even managed to make a dunk in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for Pels fans, his involvement was abruptly halted after he received a technical foul with over seven minutes remaining.