D’Angelo Russell is not a fan of Zion Williamson’s bully ball.
Russell’s Minnesota Timberwolves squared off against Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. Though Minnesota led for much of the game, Williamson took over late to score New Orleans’ final 14 points. He finished with a career-high 43, and the Pelicans squeeked out a 119-118 win.
In one particularly noteworthy late-game sequence, Williamson ripped a Russell pass away from Jaden McDaniels and threw down the jam to give New Orleans the lead.
GET OUT OF THIS MAN'S WAY!!
Career high 42 points for Zion!! pic.twitter.com/NcmPSooRGi
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 29, 2022
On the play before that, Williamson drove on Minnesota center Rudy Gobert and appeared to catch Gobert in the face with an elbow. No foul was called though, and Williamson converted the basket.
It seems that Zion Williamson has a free pass to hit the opponents on the face with his elbow! Rudy Gobert say it… Terrible referees collaborated directly, in a capital moment, for the victory of the good Pelicans team, unfortunately. pic.twitter.com/0GXdnUPQpP
— Renato Parizzi (@renatoparizzi) December 29, 2022
Speaking with reporters afterwards, Russell took a shot at Williamson’s style of play. He said that Williamson was playing football instead of basketball and also got in a swipe at the referees for not even letting the Wolves play defense on Williamson without calling a foul.
D’Angelo Russell on Zion: “He’s playing football, we playing basketball. We can’t touch him or guard him, so good for him.”
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 29, 2022
The Pelicans had some fun with those comments Thursday, uncoincidentally tweeting out video of a young Williamson playing actual football.
#TBT Zion playing football pic.twitter.com/NhHbvM3K6x
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 29, 2022
The Mr. Incredible strength of the 6-foot-6, 284-pound Williamson is part of what makes him such an incredible basketball player. He uses his power (with a solid dose of agility as well) to average 25.8 points per contest on a sublime 60.7 percent from the field. Williamson also shoots over eight free throws a night (and got a whopping 19 of them against Minnesota).
But it can be frustrating to defend the former No. 1 pick when referees let Williamson get away with way more physicality than the opposition does. The Wolves are not the only rivals that Williamson has annoyed either.
