Zion Williamson suffers right ankle injury in second quarter against Jazz
Pelicans win 115-105 despite Williamson's early exit
Williamson had been playing career-best 35 consecutive games
Pelicans already playing without multiple key players
This adds to Williamson's history of career-limiting injuries
📖 Full Retelling
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson suffered a right ankle injury during Saturday night's game against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on March 1, 2026, forcing the oft-injured star to leave in the second quarter of the contest that the Pelicans would go on to win 115-105. Interim coach James Borrego described the injury as Williamson 'tweaking the ankle' but provided no immediate update on its severity. 'Hopefully, it's nothing serious, and we'll have him back out there very soon,' Borrego stated regarding the two-time All-Star. The setback comes at a challenging time for the Pelicans, who were already playing without small forward Trey Murphy (right shoulder), center Yves Missi (left calf), and guard Dejounte Murray. Williamson had contributed 4 points, 2 assists, and a rebound in his 11 minutes of playing time before exiting the game. The ankle injury marks another chapter in Williamson's injury-plagued career. The 35 consecutive games he had been playing represented an NBA career-best for the former Duke star, selected first overall in the 2019 draft. Throughout his professional career, the 22-year-old has been limited to playing just 258 of 543 potential regular-season games, with his most significant setback being the entire 2021-22 season missed due to a broken right foot.
National Basketball Association team in Salt Lake City, Utah
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the team has played its home games at the Delta Center, an aren...
Zion Lateef Williamson (born July 6, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward position. Following a freshman-year stint with the Duke Blue Devils, Williamson was selected by the Pelicans ...
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional basketball...
National Basketball Association team in New Orleans, Louisiana
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Smoothie King Center.
Oft-injured New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson 'tweaks' right ankle in win over Utah Jazz Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has another potential injury to deal with after leaving New Orleans’ game at Utah in the second quarter By The Associated Press March 1, 2026, 12:37 AM SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has another potential injury to deal with after leaving New Orleans’ game at Utah in the second quarter Saturday night. The Pelicans announced Williamson would not return due to an injury to his right ankle in a game New Orleans went on to win 115-105 . Interim coach James Borrego said Williams “tweaked the ankle,” but didn't have an immediate update on severity of the injury. “Hopefully, it's nothing serious, and we'll have him back out there very soon,” Borrego said. It’s the latest setback for the oft-injured player who had already missed 16 games this season due to various ailments. The game against Utah was the two-time All-Star’s 35th straight — an NBA career-best for Williamson — dating to Dec. 11, after he sat out five games with a right hip adductor strain . Williamson had four points, two assists and a rebound in 11 minutes of playing time against Utah. Popular Reads Iran live updates: Iranian state TV reports Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei's death 35 minutes ago Most Republicans support strike as Dems demand answers Feb 28, 4:16 PM Nancy Guthrie live updates: More than 1 suspect not ruled out, sheriff's office says Feb 21, 5:31 PM Selected by the Pelicans with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft out of Duke, Williams has been limited to playing just 258 of 543 potential regular-season games, and never more than 25 in a row before this most recent stretch. He also missed the entire 2021-22 season with a broken right foot. The Pelicans’ lineup was already depleted in playing without small forward Trey Murphy (right shoulder), center Yves Missi (left calf) and guard Dejounte Murray . ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba Sp...