Zion Williamson throws down massive dunk in long-awaited return to Pelicans

For the first time in more than two months, Zion Williamson took the court Tuesday night with a healthy hamstring.

The New Orleans Pelicans forward and former No. 1 overall draft pick had missed the last 27 games after suffering the injury in a Nov. 6 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In Tuesday night's 104-97 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Williamson played 28 minutes, scored 22 points and pulled down six rebounds.

He also showed that his athletic style and power are still intact during a sequence in the third quarter in which he made a steal at midcourt and then threw down a ferocious 360-degree dunk.

Williamson, 24, has had an injury-plagued start to his NBA career ever since the Pelicans selected him first overall in the 2019 NBA draft.

He played just 24 games in his rookie season due to a knee injury, and after an All-Star campaign his second year in the league, he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury with 45 games remaining in 2022-23. Then last season, after playing a career-high 70 games, a hamstring strain caused him to miss the Pelicans' first-round playoff series.

In an abundance of caution, New Orleans coach Willie Green said Williamson will have his playing time limited until he's fully recovered.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zion Williamson returns after missing 27 games with hamstring injury