The Pelicans were pleasantly surprised Wednesday night by the return of forward Anthony Davis and swingman Tyreke Evans at the Staples Center versus the Clippers.
The presence of Davis and Evans wasn't enough to lift New Orleans to victory, but both players turned in sparkling performances brimming with hope for the future.
The Pelicans fell 108-95, after the Clippers beat them in fast break points.
Davis was supposed to miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured hand, but he returned Wednesday after only missing 7 games. Despite sporting a splint on his hand, Davis finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Evans turned in a banner performance, posting his second career triple-double with 11 points, 10 assists and 13 rebounds, which is also a new career rebounding high for him. Evans other triple-double came in his rookie season.
Davis' early return and strong performance may bolster his All Star case. As of December 12, Davis is sixth in the race for the Western Conference Front Court.
1. Kevin Durant (OKC) 607,407
2. Dwight Howard (Hou) 295,120
3. Blake Griffin (LAC) 292,925
4. Kevin Love (Min) 275,506
5. Tim Duncan (SA) 217,271
6. Anthony Davis (NO) 149,579
7. Pau Gasol (LAL) 133,199
8. LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 132,818
9. Andre Iguodala (GS) 109,745
10. Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 89,093
11. Chandler Parsons (Hou) 77,179
12. DeMarcus Cousins (Sac) 60,923
13. David Lee (GS) 60,015
14. Kawhi Leonard (SA) 55,023
15. Omer Asik (Hou) 53,827
