Davis suffered a sprained shoulder on Saturday night…
New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis has been forced to withdraw from the All-Star Game 2015 due to injury and has been replaced by Dirk Nowitzki.
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Davis suffered a sprained right shoulder on a hard fall to the court on Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls, and having not been able to take to the floor since, he has opted to pull out of the game.
While it will be disappointing for the young star to miss out, it does provide Dallas Mavericks veteran Nowitzki with an opportunity to step up for a deserved call up after averaging 18.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game this season.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle had previously admitted that it was a “blessing” that Nowitzki wasn’t selected as it would give him time to rest over the All-Star break, but he insisted that he deserved the recognition and hopes he enjoys the weekend.
Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr will coach the team in New York on Sunday, and it has also been announced that Klay Thompson and James Harden will both start for the West.
Thompson is averaging 22.1 points and shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc this season while Harden is leading the NBA in scoring at 27.7 points per game.
While it still promises to be a fascinating and highly entertaining game, it will come as a huge disappointment that three of the initial five starters for the West have now withdrawn due to injury.
Joining Davis on the sidelines is Kobe Bryant who is done for the the season while Blake Griffin has been ruled out of action for the next three weeks after elbow surgery.
Dwyane Wade has also been forced to pull out for the East while Carmelo Anthony is struggling with a sore knee, and so it is hoped that the remaining All-Stars can stay healthy ahead of Sunday night.
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