“He is an unusual force and obviously a fantastic player,” Carlisle said after the seeing Mavs fell 112-103. “We’ll have to figure out something a little better out the next time, but he is doing this to everybody. We’d have some rather good possessions guarding him, but he had been a beast.
“It presents huge challenges for the protection and for officials. He’s just creating collisions out there. This really is a Shaquille O’Neal-type power of character using a point shield skill set.”
Williamson, new off a career-high 39 points in Friday night’s home loss to the Denver Nuggets, followed with 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting to go along with six assists and five rebounds.
He performed or assisted on the Pelicans’ final 14 points, all in the last 2:47, and helped the Pelicans take a 98-95 lead at the point and place the game match off.
“I want to create the best play that’s going to help us win,” Williamson explained. “Sometimes, that is knowing when to shoot it and if not to take it. When to make the pass when not to make the pass. I only want to win. It is as simple as that.”
New Orleans couldn’t put the game away on Friday, ultimately falling to the Nuggets. Williamson said that game, and the loss that came with it, played a”little part” within his aggressiveness in the fourth quarter, but finally it was a brand new game.
Since Williamson manages the ball more and more, his teammates are starting to see him grow into someone that can take over games in the final minutes.
“The capability to go in there and know the angles of the basket and understand the angles of everything around the rim, it’s really beautiful,” Pelicans forwards Brandon Ingram said. “To be as effective as he is and visit the rim and sometimes get fouled and play through it, it’s amazing to see.”
Pelicans guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker said he is not surprised that Williamson’s making the right reads, since he’s seen it happen time and time again this season.
“He is a fantastic player and very unselfish,” Alexander-Walker explained. “He made the winning plays tonight.”
When he wasn’t off it, Williamson was getting to the line regularly. He had season highs with 12 free throws made and 18 free throw attempts. Carlisle said defending him has become”a real challenge.”
“You’ve got to have a great deal of courage to stand in there and get run over by that guy, because he is coming at you fast,” Carlisle said. “He’s coming in you, for example, it’s not merely an Amtrak. It is an Acela. It is the fast one that does not stop. It will not stop in Westport or wherever. It merely goes phew! It is something else.”
Saturday was Williamson’s second consecutive game with 35 points, five rebounds and five assists, linking Anthony Davis since the only players in franchise history to pull that off in back-to-back games.
Williamson became the eighth player in the shot-clock age (since 1954-55) to have at least 75 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting over 70 percent from the field in a two-game span, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
He also became the first player since O’Neal at 1995-96 to possess four consecutive matches with 25 points while shooting 65 percent or greater.
But while all the accolades and comparisons are fine, Williamson made it clear that he would like to be enjoy.
Said Williamson:”It’s a honor to hear my name in these classes, but I’m who I am.”
