Pelicans’ Anthony Davis leaves game vs. Heat after re-injuring right shoulder
New Orleans Pelicans All-Star forward Anthony Davis left Saturday night’s matchup with the Miami Heat after re-aggravating the right shoulder injury that caused him to pull out of the 2015 NBA All-Star Game.
After scoring six points and snagging six rebounds in the early going at AmericanAirlines Arena, Davis collided with Heat center Hassan Whiteside while attempting a shot in the paint with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter:
Davis instantly began favoring his right shoulder, staying out of action as play continued and immediately heading to the Pelicans locker room with team training personnel after a personal foul by new teammate Norris Cole stopped the play.
After that examination, the Pelicans decided to pull Davis from the remainder of the contest:
Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft out of Kentucky, ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring at 24.3 points per game, and eighth in rebounding at 10.3 rebounds per game, both career highs. He also leads the league in blocks per game (2.7) and in Player Efficiency Rating (31.2).
Already playing without injured point guard Jrue Holiday, who’s been out for five weeks with a “stress reaction” in his right leg, the Pelicans can ill afford more injuries to pivotal players. Shortly after Davis exited the game, though, key reserve Ryan Anderson suffered a right knee sprain that forced him from action, too.
Both Davis and Anderson will be re-evaluated Sunday, according to NBA.com’s David Aldridge:
Despite the early exits by Davis and Anderson, the Pelicans beat the Heat, 105-91, behind strong outings by shooting guard Eric Gordon (24 points, 6-for-11 from 3-point range, six assists, four rebounds), center Omer Asik (15 points, nine rebounds, two assists) and former Heat guard Cole (12 points, six rebounds, three assists). The win moved the Pelicans back above .500 at 28-27, and kept them two games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
Mario Chalmers scored 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting off the bench to lead the Heat, who fell to 23-31. Dwayne Wade added 19 points, albeit on 8-for-23 shooting, to go with four rebounds and four assists, while trade-deadline acquisition Goran Dragic chipped in 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting, three rebounds and one assist in his debut for the Heat, who earlier Saturday announced that All-Star power forward Chris Bosh will miss the remainder of the season as he undergoes treatment for blood clots in his lungs.
More NBA coverage:
– – – – – – –
Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
Stay connected with Ball Don’t Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, “Like” BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don’t Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.
