The NBA trade deadline now sits in the rearview mirror, and Anthony Davis was back in a familiar role: in the starting lineup while sporting a New Orleans uniform. Behind a 32-point, nine-rebound effort in 25 minutes on Friday evening, Davis helped propel the Pelicans to a 122-117 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves — despite not seeing the court after the 3:14 mark of the third quarter.
It was truly an awkward situation throughout, but rather than piling up a $100,000 fine from the NBA for every game a healthy Davis sits out, the Pelicans organization has decided to let their most valuable asset play out the rest of this season in order to “preserve the integrity of the game,” per a statement issued by general manager Dell Demps on Thursday.