Upon returning Thursday from a three-week absence after suffering a knee sprain, Zion Williamson said he could've returned earlier but the Duke staff wanted to make sure he was in tip-top shape.
The move clearly paid off. Playing for the third consecutive day, Williamson had another strong performance in leading Duke to a 73-63 win over Florida State to capture the ACC Tournament crown.
Williamson scored a game-high 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting, adding five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 40 minutes. He made seven of 10 free throws.
ZION ➡TRE JONES 🎯 pic.twitter.com/bKVemlfExD
- ESPN (@espn) March 17, 2019
Now Williamson has a chance to perform on the big stage as Duke will be one of the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament, Williamson's final games before likely going No. 1 in this year's NBA Draft. Williamson seems more than ready, as one can tell by his answer when asked by ESPN after the game about the team's mentality heading into March Madness.
"Killers kill. Killers kill," Williamson said.