Zion Williamson 360-dunk as exclamation point leads to post-game words from Suns

Zion Williamson could have just dribbled it out. The Pelicans were up nine with :07 seconds left, the game was over. Instead, he took the pass from Larry Nance Jr. and decided to put on a show for the fans, throwing down a 360-windmill dunk to cap his 35-point night.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... ZION WILLIAMSON. pic.twitter.com/MhjV7Zpl0R

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 10, 2022

That didn’t sit well with the Suns, who felt it was salt in the wound and a violation of the NBA’s unwritten rules. They went and had some words and did a little posturing with Zion after the dunk.

ZION WINDMILL 😱😱😱

THEN BOTH TEAMS GOT CHIPPY! pic.twitter.com/uLdZAwvDkQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 10, 2022

The Suns Cameron Payne, via Andrew Lopez of ESPN:

“The game was pretty much over, and they just kept playing,” Payne said. “I felt like there was just no sportsmanship, and we don’t really like that. We do the right thing. I felt like they should’ve done the right thing, and they didn’t. We didn’t take it well, and we don’t like to lose either. The game was over, no shot clock. They can hold the ball.”

Reporter: “Cam Payne said the Pelicans game was pretty much over and that the dunk was not a sportsmanlike thing to do.”

CJ McCollum: “They gotta get back on defense if they don’t want us to dunk the ball.” 😬 pic.twitter.com/uMEOk6mBiw

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 10, 2022

The best part of that get-together? Piere the mascot holding back Jose Alvarado.

Pierre holding back @AlvaradoJose15 is one of the best things I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/4aIUfPucUp

— Pelicans SZN (@DADCAGG) December 10, 2022

Suns, if you don’t want a guy to dunk at the end of the game, defend him. Otherwise, who cares?

Zion was asked about the dunk but reminded everyone it was the Suns who knocked the Pelicans out of the playoffs a year ago, so he was okay with it.

"That was a little out of character for me. But you gotta understand … They sent my teammates home last year.”

Zion speaks on his late 360 windmill dunk during the Pelicans-Suns game. He kept receipts ✍️ pic.twitter.com/OmLHkDBnTt

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 10, 2022

This was the kind of win for the Pelicans that has to have us asking, is their time now? Could they come out of the West this year?