Zion Williamson is taking the blame.
The Pelicans star wore his team’s 133-89 rout at the hands of the Lakers in Thursday’s In-Season Tournament, scoring 13 points and adding two rebounds, three assists and three turnover in 26 minutes.
New Orleans was -33 during Williamson’s 26 minutes on the floor.
“I got to be better,” he said. “I got to be more aggressive, finding my shot. I got to do more things to get my team going. I think I was too laid-back tonight, and I just can’t do that. And defensively I got to be better.”
The veteran-laden Lakers ran roughshod over the Pelicans, with LeBron James racking up 30 points, five assists and eight rebounds in just 23 minutes — and then sat out the entire fourth quarter.
“Tonight was a total letdown,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We were all disappointed in our competitive spirit against the Lakers, and you got to give them credit. They came out and they dominated.”
For Green, the difference was obvious.
“They know what it takes to be on the big stage and have big moments,” Green said. “For some of our guys, this is their first time since college being in elimination games. So we’ll take the experience, we’ll watch film on it, we’ll grow, and we’ll learn. For Z in particular, it’s a moment that we can learn from. The level went up tonight, and like I said, we didn’t match their intensity.”
The loss marked a second straight dud in the knockout round of the NBA’s inaugural tournament for Williamson, the first-overall pick in the 2019 draft who has yet to get a taste of the NBA postseason.
He posted 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting in a 127-117 win over the Kings in the quarterfinals.
Whatever is hanging over his game, he will have to shake it before Monday’s tilt with the Timberwolves at home.
“I have a problem where I literally just try to hunt the best shot possible every time, but my teammates, they expect more from me,” Williamson said. “I expect more from myself. I got to just trust my game. I just got to be more aggressive. I think if I’m more aggressive that energy will definitely carry over.”
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