Feb 8, 2019; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) before their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Davis was the talk of the NBA world over the last week, after he requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans. Well, the NBA trade deadline passed, and despite constant rumors about him potentially being dealt (particularly to the Los Angeles Lakers), Davis remained a member of the Pelicans.

Naturally, this created an awkward situation for Davis and the Pelicans, but New Orleans decided they would play Davis for the rest of the season (with some pressure from the NBA — threatening $100,000 fines — surely a big reason).

Well, Friday night Davis indeed returned to the Pelicans’ lineup, and the home crowd at the Smoothie King Center wasn’t very happy with the superstar during intros.

The boos quickly turned into cheers when Davis threw down a dunk for the Pelicans’ first score of the game:

That was the beginning of a monster performance for The Brow. Davis scored a game-high 32 points (11-of-15 from the field), pulled down nine rebounds, and had three blocks in a 122-117 New Orleans win.

Oh, and Davis did that all in just 25 minutes. He didn’t even play the fourth quarter, making an awkward situation just a bit more awkward when he’d been dominating.

So, this will be a very interesting — and highly awkward — situation for the rest of the season.

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.