CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Collin Sexton is not exactly known for his shot-blocking abilities, but his athleticism does put him in position to make such plays on the occasion, and he got one against a heralded rookie Tuesday night.
With New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson driving toward the hoop for a potential highlight-reel two-handed dunk, Sexton leapt for and knocked the ball out of Williamson’s hands for the blocked shot, just his 12th in two seasons with the Cavaliers.
Sexton’s block fired up the crowd at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland in what was Williamson’s first NBA road game after being taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft after just one season at Duke University.
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Although Sexton had a memorable defensive moment against Williamson, it was not enough to carry the Cavaliers (13-35, 6-18 home) to a win, as the Pelicans (19-29, 10-14 away) earned a 125-111 road victory.
Despite getting a shot attempt blocked by Sexton, Williamson nearly finished off a double-double in his Cleveland debut.
Williamson converted seven of his 13 attempts from the field on the way to 14 points to go along with nine rebounds, one assist and a plus-five rating in 30 minutes of action. Williamson and the Pelicans outscored the Cavaliers by five points when he was on the floor.
The Cavaliers will look to get back on track when they host their annual “Pride Night” game against the Toronto Raptors (33-14) at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Thursday.
At 13-35, the Cavaliers are 7.5 games in back of the Brooklyn Nets for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. Currently, the Cavaliers have the third-worst record in the NBA, behind only the Golden State Warriors (10-38) and Atlanta Hawks (12-36).