NEW ORLEANS — Pelicans forward Anthony Davis is back in New Orleans’ lineup against the Utah Jazz, five nights after being sidelined by a mysterious chest injury.
Speaking shortly before tip-off Tuesday night, Davis said he remains unsure what caused the injury that sent him to the hospital last Friday night, when the Pelicans beat the Cleveland Cavaliers without Davis on the court for most of the game.
"It looks like nothing’s there," Davis said when asked if there was any sign of bruising. "I don’t remember getting hit, so I might have turned a certain way and it happened.
"I’m not sure, but the pain was there for something," he added. "It’s scary when you go through something like that and you’re not really sure how it happened."
The injury caused Davis to leave the game in the middle of the first quarter, and he wound up staying overnight at a hospital for a series of scans and tests that came back negative. He remained sore on Sunday, so the team held him out of that night’s overtime loss to Golden State as a precaution.
The team was unable to pinpoint how the injury occurred by reviewing video of the game.
"I couldn’t really breathe and I had a sharp pain in my chest, so I was trying to see what was going on," Davis recalled. "It was an unusual pain I never had before and it was very uncomfortable."
Davis, who is averaging 24.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks, had been listed as day to day on Monday. He said he will wear protective gear on his chest — similar to a flak jacket — against Utah.
He made the decision to play after participating in shootaround earlier Tuesday. He has not practiced with the protective gear on his chest but didn’t sound concerned about adjusting to using it during a game.
"I’ve just got to go out there and play and not worry about it," he said. "I know I’ll be comfortable with it."
