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Scherzer, Zimmerman lead Nats past LA

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Crestwood tops Valley West in boys soccer

<p>ATLANTA &#8212; Zion Williamson may not be quite as tall as billed.</p><p>He still soared in his first NBA preseason game Monday night.</p><p>Showing off the high-flying talents that made him one of the most anticipated rookies in years, Williamson turned in a ferocious slam less than 2 minutes into his debut with the New Orleans Pelicans and dunked it two more times before the first half was done against the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>It was quite the close-range repertoire.</p><p>One with the right hand.</p><p>One with the left hand.</p><p>One with both hands.</p><p>Williamson finished the first half with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists, helping the Pelicans to a 75-61 lead over the Hawks before a much larger crowd than what normally be expected in Atlanta for an exhibition between two teams that failed to make the playoffs last season.</p><p>Of course, the score was irrelevant. This was chance to see the future of the NBA for the first time &#8212; not counting his brief stint in the Las Vegas Summer League &#8212; and Williamson did not disappoint, though he&#8217;s not close to being a finished product after just one college season at Duke.</p><p>Just 62 seconds into the game, he took a pass from Lonzo Ball on the pick-and-roll and banked one in while drawing the foul from John Collins. Williamson knocked down the free throw and &#8212; voila &#8212; he had his first three-point play. A small section of the crowd chanted &#8220;Overrated!&#8221; but their hearts weren&#8217;t really in it.</p><p>Williamson was still listed at 6-foot-7 on the Pelicans roster, though he reportedly measured an inch shorter without shoes as part of the league&#8217;s push to accurately measure everyone in the league this season.</p><p>Whatever the case, he turned Hawks 7-footer Damian Jones into the first of what will likely be an abundance of poster victims with his next basket.</p><p>Sizing up the Hawks from beyond the 3-point arc, Williamson suddenly burst toward the hoop, split a pair of defenders and dunked over the taller Jones with a fearsome right hand that left the fans gasping.</p><p>A couple of minutes later, Williamson delivered a two-handed slam off another pass from Ball, a tantalizing display from the young duo. In the second quarter, it was a left-handed dunk set up by a dish from Kenrich Williams as the Hawks defense wisely scrambled out of the way.</p><p>Before the game, the past and future came together.</p><p>Williamson lingered at midcourt during warmups, clearly eager for a chance to pay his respects to the NBA&#8217;s senior citizen. Atlanta&#8217;s 42-year-old Vince Carter, preparing for his record 22nd &#8212; and final &#8212; season, came over to say a few words to the 19-year-old phenom, pulling him in close to make sure he could hear it all.</p><p>After the introductions and the national anthem, Williamson took the court with his new team, a franchise that was rocked by Anthony Davis&#8217; trade demand but quickly recovered by landing the first overall pick in the draft lottery.</p><p>Davis was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers for a haul that included Ball and Brandon Ingram &#8212; both of whom joined the teenager in a Pelicans starting lineup that also included Jrue Holiday and Derrick Favors.</p><p>The rebuilding teams featured four of the top 10 picks in this year&#8217;s draft.</p><p>The Hawks sent out No. 5 pick De&#8217;Andre Hunter as part of their starting lineup, and brought 10th selection Cam Reddish off the bench. The Pelicans also have No. 8 choice Jaxson Hayes, though he didn&#8217;t play in the first half.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) drives against Atlanta Hawks forward Cam Reddish during the second half of a preseason NBA game Monday in Atlanta. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_AP19281062371691.jpg</photo0><caption0>New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) drives against Atlanta Hawks forward Cam Reddish during the second half of a preseason NBA game Monday in Atlanta. </caption0><photoCredit0>AP photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Newberry</p><p>AP Sports Writer</p></bylineMeta></div>

Zion shows high-flying skills in preseason debut