On Wednesday, the New Orleans Pelicans will try to get their first win of the 2025-26 season, traveling into hostile territory to face the Denver Nuggets. As the Nuggets are led by a three-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic, it would seem like the odds are stacked against them. The fact that there’s a real chance they’ll have to take them on without their best player, one Zion Williamson, only adds to their anxiety.
The Basketball Gods Struck Pelicans With Zion Williamson Injury
Though the Pelicans would lose in overtime, Williamson had a sensational showing against the San Antonio Spurs last Friday. In the end, he would record 27 points, 10 rebounds (five offensive), seven assists and three steals in 37 minutes. It was a flawed performance due to his untimely turnovers and unsightly free-throw percentage (68.8%, 11-16). Nevertheless, the two-time All-Star was able to make a number of game-changing plays as he continues what he hopes to be a redemption tour.
The basketball gods just gave Williamson another challenge though. In the fourth quarter of their loss to the Spurs, Williamson threw down a vicious putback dunk on Defensive Player of the Year favorite Victor Wembanyama in the fourth quarter. A highlight-reel play that galvanized the home crowd, it got Williamson fired up too. So much adrenaline was running through him that he didn’t even notice what just happened.
“Landed on someone’s foot and the side of my foot just banged the ground,” Williamson says of the play, per NOLA.com’s Rod Walker. “The pain level didn’t really pick up until a day or two days later. I spoke with the team, made the best decision on it. Got it looked at.”
This is when Zion Williamson injured himself on that putback dunk against the Spurs. You can clearly see him landing on Victor Wembanyama’s foot pic.twitter.com/ZeO44NkrfE
— Quenton Albertie (ℚ) (@qshironalberti3) October 29, 2025
“Right now we’re in a day-to-day thing,” Williamson explains. “But nothing major. Nothing that is going to keep me out for a long time. Just day to day.”
Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Explains Surprise ‘Day-To-Day’ Injury
On Monday, Williamson was ruled out of the Pelicans’ matchup against the Boston Celtics due to a bone contusion.
Prior to the game, Pelicans head coach Willie Green would say “it’s just something that kind of popped up” that morning and that he’s “not too sure” if it would be a lingering injury (h/t Pelicans Film Room). About an hour later, they were being routed by the Celtics. There were multiple reasons for the lopsided final score, from Jeremiah Fears‘s shot-selection in his first career start to Herb Jones and Derik Queen combining for more personal fouls (9) than field goals (6) to Trey Murphy III scoring seven points in 33 minutes.
However, the most obvious issue was the absence of Williamson. Since New Orleans drafted him first overall in 2019, he’s played 30 or fewer games in all but two seasons. As one might expect, this really cramps their style. In fact, they’re 100-159 without the face of their franchise, a .386 win percentage (h/t StatMuse).
With that being said, Williamson is questionable for the Pelicans’ battle against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. As a result, their losing streak could last at least a little longer. If they controlled their own first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, there would be a silver lining to that. Yet, that draft pick is heading to the Atlanta Hawks as a result of their trade for Queen. The Hawks haven’t been able to fly right this season either, but at least they have that as consolation.
© Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
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