A fan interrupted play during Thursday night’s Sacramento Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans game by flinging a chicken wing onto the field, just missing star forward Zion Williamson of the Pelicans during a drive toward the hoop late in the fourth quarter. It was an odd turn of events.
The game came to a grinding stop when a stadium worker rushed to clear the crispy food that had become an unforeseen hazard off the court. Unfazed by the strange change of events, Zion Williamson kept his composure and demonstrated his athletic ability despite the unusual interruption. Williamson led the Pelicans forward with his relentless drive, scoring an amazing 31 points so far. In the end, his outstanding play along with the team’s tenacity led to a resounding victory as the Pelicans defeated their opponents 135–123.
TNT commentator Kevin Harlan was far above the incident in the broadcast booth, expressing disbelief at the act’s wastefulness. “There’s been an object thrown on the ground,” he said, pausing in his play-by-play analysis. A chicken wing, that is! Why would someone dump something so nice on the ground? He said, “It’s warm, crispy, and I’m so hungry,” which made his colleague analyst Reggie Miller giggle.
The focus is still on Williamson, the former first overall choice in the 2019 NBA Draft who lost 25 pounds in just three months, undergoing a spectacular physical metamorphosis this season. Williamson is a rising star in the NBA because of his agility and athleticism, even though he weighs 284 pounds and has an intimidating 6-foot-6 body.
Now that the Pelicans have improved to a 48-32 regular season record and, with two games left, have secured the sixth slot in the Western Conference standings, focus is turning to the postseason. On the other hand, the Kings are struggling; after losing on Wednesday, their season record is now 45-35, which puts them in the same position as the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers for a spot in the NBA play-in round.
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