Watch Zion Williamson make a 360 dunk with 1.9 seconds remaining in the New Orleans Pelicans’ 128-117 win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
After Larry Nance Jr. recovered what should have been a game-ending fumble, Williamson decided to take the field as the crowd cheered him on. Announcers were surprised the New Orleans forward didn’t run out the clock to finish the game.
According to a few NBA betting sites, the Pelicans have the 10th-best odds to win the championship in 2023. See which sportsbooks have the best odds for the Suns and Denver Nuggets. Watch the brawl below.
Instead, Williamson’s 360 dunk only angered the Phoenix players, causing both benches to clear after the buzzer. Suns guards Chris Paul and Cameron Payne meet Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado at center court before he separates.
“The game was pretty much over, and they kept playing,” Payne said. “I felt there was no sportsmanship, and we don’t like that.
“We’re going to do the right thing. I felt like they had to do the right thing, and they didn’t. We didn’t handle it well, and we don’t like to lose. It’s game over, there’s no shot clock. They can hold the ball,” he said.
Watch how Zion Williamson’s 360 dunk led to a scrimmage and benches in the Pelicans’ 128-117 win over the Suns
As Paul began to leave the court, Alvarado returned to the 12-time All-Star to exchange a few more words. “He’s got something with C,” Payne added. “Tries to get to C.”
New Orleans players were upset for a different reason. In the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs, the Suns swept the playoffs in six games and advanced to the Western Conference Finals at the home court of the Pelicans.
“Yeah, there’s tension there,” Alvarado said after the game. “We hated being beaten on our own floor. [in playoffs]. Every game we play with them will be physical and locked down. It’s always going to be a playoff game for us.
Watch Zion Williamson’s postgame interview below.
Following the win, Zion Williamson felt his snap was unnecessary considering New Orleans already had a nine-point lead. The Pelicans forward finished with a game-high 35 points in 37 minutes of action.
Williamson’s 360 dunk added to the 22-year-old’s season-high 33 points in a 126-108 win over the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 30.
“It was a bit of a character for me,” Williamson explained after the win. But you have to understand, last year they sent my teammates home… but I was in that locker room, my brothers were down because the Suns sent us home last year.
Zion Williamson missed all of last season with a foot injury. Last December, he showed a medical image showing the healing process of his fifth metatarsal bone.
Meanwhile, Deandre Ayton left the court as time expired, and the center looked unfazed by Williamson’s 360 dunk. “It’s home court,” Ayton said. “He does it for his fans. I don’t take any of these things personally. I worry about the postgame when it counts.”
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