Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY
In the end, Zion Williamson was the payoff, and that’s the only thing anyone will remember about Wednesday night’s game, which was, for the record, a 121–117 Spurs win in New Orleans and a playoff-relevant result. The Pelicans unearthed the No. 1 pick for what could actually have been the most anticipated rookie debut ever (thanks, modern news cycle), and after three quarters of tentative play in a game that had dragged, Williamson ripped off 17 straight points, bringing his team within one point of a game they’d trailed since the first quarter.