LAS VEGAS _ While the debut of Zion Williamson was expected to shake up the NBA, he wasn't even on the floor when it actually began to shake at Thomas and Mack Center.
Williamson was sidelined with knee soreness in the second half and with 7:53 remaining in the game an earthquake struck, sending the scoreboard swinging above the court and swaying the stands as the crowd rushed for the exits. The teams were escorted off the court for a delay as the public address announcer implored the crowd to remain calm and that their seats were the safest place to be _ a message that seemed to fall on deaf ears.
It was a summer league game, but even before the earthquake it seemed like something far more. You could just keep telling yourself that as you wonder why the crowd _ a capacity crowd _ was on its feet, cheering wildly at every pregame dunk, recording every moment of the warmups. NBA stars sauntered out of the steamy heat outside and into courtside seats.
