Zion Williamson entered the 2024-2025 NBA regular season with a career scoring average of 24.7 points per outing, but with 206 missed games under his belt. He added a 207th on Wednesday night, when the 24-year-old Duke basketball one-and-done and 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick shut out the New Orleans Pelicans’ season-opening 123-111 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls.

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Pelicans head coach Willie Green informed the media that Williamson, who has dealt with numerous injuries and setbacks since his memorably exciting college campaign at Durham, has “just some kind of virus” and has “been sick the last few days.”

Maybe he’ll be back to full strength in time for the Pelicans’ matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday at 10 PM ET.

As for New Orleans’ other NBA Blue Devil, 2016-17 one-and-done forward and No. 2 overall pick, Brandon Ingram shined to the tune of a game-high 33 points and shot 13-for-23 from the field, 3-for-5 from the center, and 4-for-4 at the line. The 27-year-old from Kinston, N.C., added seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in his 31 minutes as a starter.

The Bulls employ one Duke basketball talent in one-time guard DJ Steward from 2020-21. However, the 23-year-old Chicago native is on a two-way contract and is currently not on the regular season roster.

RELATED: List of former Duke players currently playing in the NBA

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