Zion Williamson makes return in New Orleans Pelicans' preseason win

CHICAGO — The Zion Williamson show is officially back. Even if it was just for a preseason viewing.

The New Orleans Pelicans forward returned to the court Tuesday night, scoring 13 points in a 15-minute performance at the United Center in a 129-125 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Earlier on Tuesday, Williamson told ESPN his mindset was to treat this like just another preseason game, but he admitted it was hard to ignore the messages blowing up his phone and appearing on social media about the year-plus he missed.

Williamson showed flashes of his old self during the contest. He drove baseline on Bulls forward Patrick Williams for a slam. He had what some on the Pelicans bench thought should have been a chase-down block just a minute earlier in the first quarter on Williams that was ruled goaltending. Still, he was flashing the skills that made him a household name.

After Tuesday's game, he said he was most excited about playing the game he loves. That didn't mean fans got to see all the things the Pelicans have been working on with Williamson back in the fold.

«Couldn't show them everything,» Williamson said following the victory. «But just kind of getting a feel for it again. Find spots. Picking and choosing where I want to attack. But, I got a new team since the last time I played. I'm still learning some of the guys. Today we were able to click. I feel like if we can do that for the rest of these preseason games, I feel we'll be in pretty good shape.»

The Pelicans have only five players remaining from when Williamson last suited up on May 4, 2021, and two of those players — Brandon Ingram and Kira Lewis Jr. — missed Tuesday's preseason game with injuries.

New Orleans has reshaped its roster around Williamson, Ingram and