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Los Angeles (AFP) – Zion Williamson, returning from injury, led the New Orleans Pelicans to a victory over the Brooklyn Nets 130-108 on Wednesday in the opening game of the NBA.
Williamson, who played his first game in the regular league in more than 17 months, scored 25 points to confirm his readiness to return to the top of his game following recovering from a right foot injury that kept him out of action for an entire season.
Brandon Ingram emerged as the best scorer for the winning team with 28 points, while Christian James McCollum added 21.
Pelicans coach Willie Greene praised Williamson, who at the age of 22 has been a frequent victim of injuries, saying, “He is very excited.”
For his part, Williamson described what happened as “crazy”, adding, “I was simply playing the game I love, which I haven’t been able to play for a long time. I needed some fresh breath.”
“There is a lot of room for improvement,” he added, “I’m still learning from my teammates…I’m excited to move on.”
Williamson helped his team advance 18-4 during the third quarter, easily outperforming Australian Ben Simmons, who in turn struggled with injuries.
Simmons played his first game with the Nets, who was signed by the Philadelphia 76ers last year, while he was forced to miss action due to a back injury that forced him to undergo surgery in May.
While Simmons was satisfied with 4 points in 23 minutes, Kyrie Irving scored 15 and assisted 5 assists.
Nets star Kevin Durant, who was asked to leave Brooklyn in June before agreeing to stay, kept his team’s hopes alive by scoring 21 points out of a total of 32 in the first half.
However, the Pelicans scored 40 points compared to 28 for their hosts in the third quarter to control the match until the end.
The Phoenix Suns overturned their 22-point lead in the third quarter to beat the Dallas Mavericks by two points, 107-105, while the Memphis Grizzlies beat the New York Knicks 115-112 following extension.
The 35 points did not replace Slovenian Luka Doncic as the leading scorer in preventing the Mavericks team from losing, which eliminated the Suns from the playoffs last season.
The Suns returned to the match, reducing the difference to an orphan point before 1:25 minutes from the end of the third quarter, before taking the lead thanks to Cameron Payne’s basket at the end of the fourth quarter. Damion Lee (11 points) in the killer seconds.
Devin Booker emerged as the winner with 28 points, ahead of 5 players who crossed the 10-point barrier in the game.
In the most prominent matches, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Houston Rockets 117-107, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Miami Heat 116-108, the Toronto Raptors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-105, while the San Antonio Spurs lost to the Charlotte Hornets 102-129 and the Indiana Pacers defeated the Washington Wizards 107- 114.
© 2022 AFP
