New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) goes to the basket against Chicago Bulls forward Pau Gasol (16) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, the fourth-best scorer in the NBA, suffered a severe right shoulder bruise Saturday in a 107-72 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Davis, averaging just under 25 points a game, was pulled in the lopsided defeat after X-rays on his shoulder were negative for a more severe injury.
After completing an alley-oop dunk in the second quarter, Davis’ hands slipped off the rim and he landed hard on his right shoulder. Davis stayed in the game briefly before being removed to be examined.
Davis netted only eight points in 13 minutes before being pulled and New Orleans was not the same after he departed, finishing with a season-low point total for a full game.
The Bulls pulled ahead 48-39 at half-time and then outscored the Pelicans 33-17 in the third quarter, which began with a 20-3 Chicago run, on their way to routing New Orleans.
Derrick Rose and Spanish big man Pau Gasol each scored a game-high 20 points, with Gasol also grabbing 15 rebounds. Reserve Tony Snell added 19 points and Jimmy Butler had 18 points.
Tyreke Evans led the Pelicans with 15 points.
Chicago improved to 31-20, staying just ahead of Cleveland atop the Central division, while the Pelicans fell to 27-24, slipping 1 1/2 games behind Phoenix for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth.