Video: βCall that s**tβ - Referees leave Zion Williamson frustrated with lack of calls
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson didn't hold back after referees didn't award him a and-1 opportunity during Wednesday's game against the LA Lakers. Williamson found himself tussling inside the paint against LeBron James and Troy Brown Jr. in the third quarter.
He appeared to score through contact, but the referees didn't call for a shooting foul on that possession. After scoring, Zion turned to the referees, yelling:
"And-1!, call that s**t"
Here's the clip (via Talkin' NBA):
Zion Williamson:
"AND-1! Call that sh*t!"
https://t.co/yV20NjWH2v
Zion Williamson and the Pelicans were down 13 points at that stage. Until then, Williamson had only made two trips to the foul line and missed both shots. He attempted six more free throws after that possession, making five of them.
The former No. 1 pick out of Duke has made only 5.2 free-throw attempts per game. Considering that he operates in the paint area, that number is lower than his counterparts like Giannis Antetokounmpo (11.9), Ja Morant (10) and Joel Embiid (8.7), among others.
Zion Williamson is one of the most unstoppable players in the NBA. However, he is still young in his career and is only in his fourth season. Like any other star, he will have to create influence to see calls go his way.
The 6-foot-6, 284-pound forward is already scoring at a phenomenal rate, and if he secures more and-1 opportunities, it could make a ton of difference and make him more lethal.
Zion Williamson finds himself in foul trouble during OT loss against LA Lakers
Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans lost 120-117 to the LA Lakers in OT. Williamson led the Pelicans with a team-high 27-point outing. He shot 52.4% from the field. Williamson also added five rebounds and seven assists to his tally.
Zion Williamson going AT LeBron James π€
https://t.co/crAdm8cbTv
Williamson was a problem for most of the game, but he struggled in the clutch. The Pelicans forward found himself in foul trouble after picking up five of them midway through the fourth quarter. That restricted him from being on the floor between the sixth and two-minute mark in the fourth.
The New Orleans Pelicans still managed to get close to a win before Lakers forward Matt Ryan made a near-impossible shot from the corner to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Zion Williamson played every minute of overtime. However, the Pelicans failed to prevail. Williamson missed back-to-back point-blank layups with New Orleans down two points. Nevertheless, the Pelicans will be happy to see Williamson get up to speed after his return from injury.
He is crucial to their hopes of making the playoffs again and possibly making a deep push this time.