Zion Williamson’s first NBA Summer League game didn’t go well for him — or anyone else in the building.
The game between the Pelicans and Knicks was delayed with 7:53 remaining in the fourth quarter after the effects of an Earthquake hit Las Vegas at 8:20 p.m. local time.
The plan was to resume the game after overhead speakers above the court stopped swaying, ESPN reported.
“The report from the United States Geological Society is saying that that Earthquake was 7.1,” ESPN’s Doris Burke said on air. “That is significant, no question.”
It was the third Earthquake in less than two days on the West Coast.
“This is a major event, folks,” ESPN’s Mark Jones said after the speakers and the clock began moving.
That was my first earthquake. The PA guy here at Thomas & Mack is like oh, “it’s a small aftershock.” THE DAMN GROUND WAS MOVING.
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) July 6, 2019
The game featured the much anticipated NBA debuts of Williamson with the Pelicans and his former Duke teammate R.J. Barrett with the Knicks.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Floyd Mayweather headlined a parade of sports stars who turned out for the game.
Some 1,000 media credentials were issued for the much anticipated debuts of the No. 1 and 3 picks in the NBA Draft out of Duke, respectively.
The 17,500-seat Thomas & Mack Center was sold out. Lower bowl tickets were reportedly going for more than $400.
Williamson was supposed to play 24-28 minutes but ended up going for 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting and 3 rebounds in 9 minutes in the first half before the Pelicans announced in the second half that he would not return after sustaining knee-to-knee contact. Some fans did not get the message and began chanting, “We want Zion.”
Read More: Zion Williamson Exits Summer League Debut With Knee Injury After Contact
Barrett, Williamson’s close friend and former Duke teammate, shot 4-of-18 for 10 points with 5 rebounds before the delay as the Knicks brain trust of President Steve Mills, GM Scott Perry and coach David Fizdale sat courtside.
On their very first play in the first game, the Pelicans put up a lob for Williamson but he was unable to convert. The dry spell didn’t last long. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound Williamson then scored on back-to-back dunks en route to scoring 10 points in the first period.
Zion’s first bucket! #SummerPelicans pic.twitter.com/FMfar0Ks5Y
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 6, 2019
AGAIN!!! #SummerPelicans pic.twitter.com/mSkqZdQVnd
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 6, 2019
Several of Williamson’s new Pelicans teammates were in the building, including Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. (Lamelo Ball, who will play next season in Australia, also sat courtside next to Lonzo.)
“With Zion, just seeing him his first game and how explosive he is and getting to talk to him,” Holiday said on ESPN, “it seems like a very good career ahead.”
Asked how Williamson might fit into the NBA, Holiday said, “I see him playing 1-4. I feel like I’m the type of guard that can guard 1-4. He seems like he has the abilities, the quickness to guard guys. He seems like he has the ability to do that.”
It wasn’t all smooth for Williamson.
Second-year Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who recently was asked to play with the Select Team that will compete against the U.S. Olympic team, blocked a Williamson 3-point attempt from the top of the arc.
Up high to catch a lob dunk.
Block a Zion 3-pointer on the other end.
Dunk.
35 players were drafted ahead of Mitchell Robinson last year. Haha pic.twitter.com/NxYibdsYXv
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) July 6, 2019
As for Barrett, who figures to be the face of the Knicks after they missed on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the ball did not find him early on, but he scored his first NBA points on a 3-pointer late in the first quarter.
The first bucket in the HOF career of RJ Barrett is a 3-pointer pic.twitter.com/PDDtoEaSHn
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) July 6, 2019
