Pelicans' Zion Williamson to miss first game of 2026-27 season, out for rest vs. Warriors
New Orleans is playing the second of back-to-back games after losing on Sunday to the Clippers.
Zion Williamson will be absent from the New Orleans Pelicans' opening game of the 2026-27 season, scheduled for Monday against the Golden State Warriors. Williamson will not participate as he is listed on the team's injury report due to rest. The Pelicans are preparing for their second back-to-back game following their loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, which ended 139-123.
The 139 points conceded by the Pelicans were the second-highest they have allowed this season, with only 141 points given up in an overtime defeat to the Denver Nuggets. Despite scoring 25 points, shooting 9-of-9 from the field, and grabbing 4 rebounds, Williamson's absence is notable as he averaged 21 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game over 10 games this season.
Last season, Williamson played in 62 games, the second-most of his career. Over his seven NBA seasons, he has missed 278 games, including the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to a broken right foot. Injuries and conditioning issues have plagued Williamson throughout his career since his selection as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2019.
The Pelicans will be without Williamson and Trey Murphy III, who is also out due to bilateral patellar tendinopathy, for this game. Murphy, averaging 15.6 points and 4.8 rebounds this season, has been the fourth-leading scorer for the Pelicans. The Pelicans (4-6) have lost two straight games following a four-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Warriors have won seven consecutive games, following a 0-3 start to the season.
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