Anthony Davis returns from 5-game absence Wednesday

The New Orleans Pelicans' chances of sneaking into the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot got an enormous boost on Wednesday.

Anthony Davis will return from a five-game absence when the Pelicans take on the Detroit Pistons. Davis had been considered a game-time decision earlier in the day, with his sprained right shoulder apparently feeling better.

Davis missed two games with the injury earlier in the month before returning and re-aggravating it in just his second game back.

The Pelicans hung in surprisingly tough without Davis, while also missing Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson. They won the game Davis exited hurt and four more in a row before finally seeing their unlikely winning streak snapped on Monday. That's allowed the Pelicans to stay within a game of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the standings, making them a serious threat to steal the final playoff berth.

Getting Davis back is huge for New Orleans, as they've been 10.5 points per 1000 possessions better with him on the floor. The 21-year-old is averaging 23.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and a league-high 2.7 blocks while boasting the league's best player efficiency rating with a 31.2 mark.

The re-aggravation of the shoulder may be of some short-term concern for the Pelicans, even though he's gone through contact drills without issue. With no structural issue, Davis's status remains a product of icing, stimulation, massage and pain tolerance.