Russell Westbrook Drops 44, Thunder Fall to Pelicans After Anthony Davis' Injury
The New Orleans Pelicans snapped a two-game losing streak with a 131-122 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Thursday's Western Conference showdown at the Smoothie King Center.
Despite the loss, OKC still enters the All-Star break with an impressive 11-2 record in its last 13 contests.
Jrue Holiday (32 points, seven assists, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals) and Julius Randle (33 points, 11 boards and six assists) spearheaded the winning effort for the Pelicans.
On the other side, Russell Westbrook became the all-time leading scorer in Thunder and Seattle SuperSonics history and finished with a triple-double of 44 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. It was his 11th triple-double in a row, but that, along with impressive showings from Paul George (28 points, seven rebounds and six assists) and Nerlens Noel (22 points and 13 boards), was not enough on the road.
AD Injury Hints at Pelicans' Worst Nightmare
In the third quarter, the Pelicans announced Anthony Davis was out for the remainder of the game with a shoulder injury, which should send a shudder up the spines of the team's fans.
It is the latest chapter in what is shaping up to be an ugly divorce after the big man requested a trade and wasn't dealt before the Feb. 7 deadline. ESPN's Brian Windhorst went as far as to say the team didn't seriously engage in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers as a method of sabotage because they were upset with perceived tampering.
Davis and LeBron James share agent Rich Paul.
New Orleans even released a statement following the trade request that said, in part, "We have also requested the league to strictly enforce the tampering rules associated with this transaction."
It is an awkward situation at best. The Pelicans—who are not serious playoff contenders—are playing out the string with a superstar who doesn't want to be there in front of an arena with plenty of open seats.
Davis scored just three points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field in Tuesday's loss to the Orlando Magic and told reporters: "We sucked. Nobody was interested in playing, is what it looked like."
The franchise is stuck in purgatory with Davis under contract for next season but wanting out, and trading him to a contender during the coming offseason is the best way to get a number of valuable assets to jump-start a rebuild.
That means a serious Davis injury is the last thing the Pelicans want to see because it would lower his trade value and disincentivize teams from getting into a bidding war for him.
Instead of the Boston Celtics and Lakers offering young players such as Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma to go with draft capital, they could point to his injury risk and lessen the offer, knowing the Pelicans have to trade him so they don't eventually lose him for nothing.
New Orleans is in this situation in part because it has won a mere one playoff series since it drafted Davis No. 1 overall in 2012. Not getting a serious return for him in a potential trade would only set the franchise up for extended failure.
What's Next?
Both teams get back in action Feb. 22, with the Pelicans at the Indiana Pacers and the Thunder hosting the Utah Jazz.
