Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans goes to the basket as Nic Claxton #33 and Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets defend during the first half at Barclays Center on October 19, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
Zion Williamson collected 25 points and nine rebounds in his first game in over 17 months and the visiting New Orleans Pelicans never trailed in a 130-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night in New York in the season opener for both teams.
Williamson appeared in his first game since May 4, 2021 and showcased an array of interior moves. The former No. 1 overall pick returned from missing all of last season with a foot injury and showed no lingering effects of a minor ankle injury sustained last week.
Williamson made 11 of 22 shots in 30 minutes and helped New Orleans total 62 points in the paint. Williamson was particularly dominant in the third when he made 5 of 6 shots as the Pelicans outscored the Nets 40-28 to pull away.
“He’s very excited,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Williamson, the 2019 top draft pick who at 22 has already battled a raft of injuries.
“The hard work he had to put in to get to this point, we’re all proud of him as a team and an organization.”
Brandon Ingram paced the Pelicans with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting as New Orleans shot 49 percent. CJ McCollum added 21 while Jonas Valanciunas collected 15 and 13 rebounds to help the Pelicans break a seven-game skid to the Nets.
Z SLAMS IT DOWN 💥 pic.twitter.com/EZKAsQFMyt
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 20, 2022
Kevin Durant scored 32 points but had little help as the Nets began their 11th season in Brooklyn with a dud. Kyrie Irving was held to 15 points on 6-of-19 shooting as the Nets struggled virtually the entire game.
Patty Mills added 16 while Nic Claxton chipped in 13 and 10 boards. Royce O’Neale contributed 10 but Ben Simmons finished with just four points and fouled out in 23 minutes during his first game since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta with Philadelphia on June 20, 2021.
New Orleans scored the first seven points and raced out to an 11-2 lead on consecutive hoops by Williamson less than four minutes in. Jose Alvarado’s layup upped the lead to 20-4 with 5:44 remaining and the Pelicans held a 32-14 lead after Williamson converted a layup in the final minute.
The Pelicans opened a 42-24 lead on Ingram’s fadeaway with 7:22 remaining and Brooklyn outscored New Orleans 26-8 the rest of the half to get within 58-50 after O’Neale’s putback beat the buzzer.
Durant’s 14-footer with 8:43 remaining got the Nets within 66-56. A little over four minutes later, New Orleans seized an 87-62 lead on Ingram’s 3-pointer to cap a 21-6 blitz and held a 98-78 lead entering the fourth quarter.