Walker: Zion Williamson's near triple double latest display of dominance by Pelicans' star - NOLA.com

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The 40-point game is coming eventually.

So too is the first career triple double.

It's not a matter of if, but when for Zion Williamson.

It'll probably be sooner than later, especially if Williamson gets to hold the  keys to the offense that Stan Van Gundy handed over to him like never before on Friday night.

Van Gundy unleashed Point Zion full throttle in the 101-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, allowing his superstar to facilitate the offense from start to finish. Williamson has played this role a lot lately. But with Lonzo Ball out nursing a hip injury, the show was all Zion's this time. 

The results?

The best game of Williamson's oh-so-promising career.

The numbers beside his name on the boxscore was the latest reminder that you're not supposed to be this good this soon.

37 points. A career-high 15 rebounds. And 8 assists, tying his career-high from earlier this season against Portland.

Even more impressive is that it came against one of the NBA's top teams and two of the league's top players.

Williamson stole the show on a night when he shared the stage with one of the leading Most Valuable Player candidates (Joel Embiid) and one of the leading candidates for Defensive Player of the Year (former LSU star Ben Simmons).

"He's so young, but his speed and power is unseen," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said afterwards. "... You have to be great to take him. I thought every mistake we made, Zion took advantage of. He played terrifically. He's a load."

Or a better description would be the one Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle used a few weeks ago.

“Shaquille O’Neal-type force of nature with a point guard skill set.”

Williamson says this role as a facilitator is second nature to him. Point guard is the position his stepfather taught him to play from the very beginning.

"So that was normal," Williamson said. "It was just having the opportunity to go and show it."

Van Gundy plans to give him plenty more opportunities.

"We want to get him more experience with that stuff going forward because I think that's where his future is in this game," Van Gundy said. " He just needs reps and more and more and we've increased it throughout the year giving him more and more opportunities. We'd like to give him more going forward. We'll try to build some more things for him."

Williamson is only 20. He will play in just his 72nd NBA game Sunday when the Pelicans play at the Cleveland Cavaliers. That's less than one full season, making Friday's near triple double even more impressive. For what it's worth, LeBron James' first triple double (27 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) came in his 116th game.

Williamson's teammates reminded him of how close he was during every timeout down the stretch.

"Z, get two more," they told him.

"In my mind, I'm like 'let's win this game," Williamson said.

They did as Williamson bounced back from a rare off game two nights earlier against the Brooklyn Nets. He finished with 16 points in that one Wednesday, ending his streak at 25 of consecutive games with 20 points while shooting better than 50 percent. It's a record he shares with Shaq.

Williamson, for the first time since early February, all of a sudden looked human against the Nets. 

Friday night in the Smoothie King Center against the 76ers, he didn't.

"When it comes to games like that (Nets' game), it's the character you show bouncing back the next game that really defines you," Williamson said. "As a team, we bounced back great and got the win."

And it almost came with a triple double.

He hasn't had one since high school.

"That may change," he says with a grin. "Who knows?"

Anyone watching Friday night knows.

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Walker: Zion Williamson's near triple double latest display of dominance by Pelicans' star - NOLA.com
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