Anthony Davis leaves game with shoulder contusion after scary fall

by
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Davis added another spectacular highlight to his collection on Saturday, but it came at a cost for the All-Star and his New Orleans Pelicans.

Davis failed to return to Saturday's game against the Chicago Bulls after suffering a right shoulder contusion on a scary looking fall following a second-quarter alley-oop.

Davis walked it off and stayed in the game at first before eventually heading to the locker room clutching his right arm.

The good news is that X-rays on the injured shoulder were negative. Now the Pelicans will have to hope the injury isn't anything long-term for Davis, as the MVP candidate's value to the team can't be overstated.

Davis entered Saturday fresh off Friday's 41-point, 10-rebound performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which included him draining the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The 21-year-old phenom is averaging 24.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, a league-leading 2.8 blocks, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals, while posting a player efficiency rating of 31.85 that would rank as the greatest single-season PER ever recorded.

The Pelicans perform nearly 12 points per-100 possessions better with Davis on the court as opposed to on the bench, according to NBA.com. The Bulls went on a 40-11 run in the first 12 minutes after Davis left Saturday's game.

Davis has missed five games this season due to chest, toe and groin injuries.

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