by The New Orleans Pelicans can’t be stopped. With Zion Williamson once again in the lead, they defeated the Phoenix Suns in overtime on Sunday, 129-124, for their second win over last season’s playoff opponent in three days and their seventh straight win overall.
With Sunday’s win, the Pelicans improved to 18-8 and now sit alone atop the Western Conference with a one-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies. This is the Pelicans’ best start in 26 games in franchise history, and the last in a season in which they have been in first place since April 11, 2008.
“I think we gained a lot of experience from last year’s racing,” said CJ McCollum. “A lot of the younger guys have more opportunities to show what they worked on over the summer. The summer job is paying off. You understand we missed a few games last year against the Suns and wanted to make sure we took care home court and build winning habits in the future.”
Coincidentally, that 2008 team was led by Chris Paul. The veteran returned to town this weekend and was one of many Suns players upset about how Friday night’s matchup between the two ended. With seconds ticking and the Pelicans up by nine, Williamson knocked down a remarkable 360-degree windmill which sent the Smoothie King Center into a frenzy and infuriated many members of the Suns.
Paul and company had a chance to retaliate on Sunday, but failed to take it, largely due to another controversial moment involving Paul and Williamson. As overtime began, Paul isolated himself on Williamson with the shot clock running low. Unable to shake the big, Paul went for a step back from 3-pointers and fouled. Or so it seemed. Upon review, it was clear that Paul stretched his legs out to the side in an unnatural motion and the play was turned into an offensive foul. Instead of Paul hitting three free throws with his team down by three, he fouled out of the game and the Suns never got close.
“It was a big call for us,” Williamson said. “My teammates were hyping me for getting the stoppage and he fouled with that. It was great for us.”
Williamson continued his impressive run of form, finishing with 35 points, eight rebounds and three assists on 14-of-21 shooting. This was his second straight 35-point game and fourth 30-point outing during the Pelicans’ streak. With Brandon Ingram sidelined for this run, Williamson became a true No. 1 option. In seven games, he posted 30 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night, shooting 66.9 percent from field.
This is the player we saw during the 2020-21 season when Williamson made his first All-Star appearance. His combination of strength and athleticism is just too much for opponents. Even when teams move their entire defense to try and stop him, it doesn’t matter; he can jump over them, dart around or through them.
With Williamson operating at an elite level, the third-best defense in the league (108.4 defensive) and Ingram expected to return at some point during their next road trip, the Pelicans look like a real contender in the West.
