Pelicans star Williamson out with fractured finger


Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots over Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter of an NBA game at Smoothie King Center on May 04, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson will be sidelined indefinitely with a fractured left ring finger, the NBA team announced Friday.

The setback came as the Pelicans, chasing a play-in game position in hopes of reaching the playoffs, began a five-game road trip at Philadelphia on Friday.

The team said in a statement that Williamson underwent a series of diagnostic tests Thursday and a CT scan revealed the broken finger, with more evaluation needed to determine a treatment plan and return timetable.

Williamson ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring with 27.0 points a game and also has grabbed 7.2 rebounds and passed off 3.7 assists a game.

At 30-36, the Pelicans rank 11th in the Western Conference with the top 10 having a chance to compete in the post-season. They are 1 1/2 games behind 10th-place San Antonio and three games behind ninth-place Memphis with six games remaining.