California earthquake: Zion Williamson debuts for New Orleans Pelicans in abandoned match

Williamson, who is 6ft 7in and 129kg, was named college player of the year after his only season for Duke

Zion Williamson made his debut for the New Orleans Pelicans against the New York Knicks in a game abandoned in the fourth quarter because of the effects of the California earthquake.

The 19-year-old, the number one pick in last month's NBA draft, scored 11 points in Las Vegas before he went off with a knee injury in the first half.

The Pelicans led 80-74 when the 7.1-magnitude quake shook California.

The main concern was an overhead scoreboard in the Thomas & Mack Center.

"Safety comes first, second, third," said Summer League executive director Warren LeGarie, as reported by NBA.com.

There were seven minutes 53 seconds left in the game when it was stopped. Friday's late match at the same arena between the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets was also cancelled.

"I was bringing the ball up and it felt like someone was pushing my hip, like I kind of leaned this way, and I was like 'Oh my gosh, what is going on?'" New Orleans guard Frank Jackson said. "And then I just saw everything shaking."

The earthquake, which had its epicentre near the city of Ridgecrest in southern California, about 200 miles from Las Vegas, which is in the neighbouring state of Nevada, was the biggest tremor to strike in two decades.

A 6.4-magnitude quake hit the same region on Thursday.