Anthony Davis is sensational during debut with Mavericks — until he’s injured

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Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) shoots over Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) during the first half Saturday afternoon in his debut with Dallas. (LM Otero / Associated Press)

Anthony Davis lowered his head and eased out to the American Airlines court for his pregame warmup two hours before tipoff, his face stern, his eyes steady for his debut with the Dallas Mavericks against the Houston Rockets.

Mavericks assistant coach Jared Dudley threw a pass to Davis, the two of them familiar with each other from their time as teammates on a Lakers team that won the NBA championship in 2020.

At 1:45 p.m., Dallas time, Davis was the second-to-last player from the Mavericks to take the court, the fans inside applauding him as he started for his new team.

Davis had been a part of a blockbuster trade that rocked the NBA landscape on Feb. 1 and left Mavericks fans highly upset because their beloved Luka Doncic was sent to the Lakers as part of the deal. The Lakers also sent Max Christie to the Mavericks.

But the good vibes dissipated when Davis exited the game with 2:11 left in the third quarter and headed to the Mavericks locker room with what they called a lower-body injury. Davis last played in a game on Jan. 28 in Philadelphia, but he departed after playing 10 minutes because of an abdominal strain.

When the game started in Dallas, Davis made his presence felt immediately, first with a pass to Daniel Gafford for a dunk before blocking a shot by Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun and then throwing down a two-handed dunk after rebounding his own shot.

A fan holds up a sign welcoming new Mavericks forward Anthony Davis and guard Max Christie on Saturday. (LM Otero / Associated Press)

A timeout ensued and Davis turned to the crowd and yelled, “I’m here.”

He was given a standing ovation from Dallas fans who never wanted Doncic to leave, one of many ovations Davis received for delivering a stellar performance before the injury.

Davis had given the Mavericks 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting, making both of his three-pointers. He had 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocked shots in 31 minutes during Dallas’ 116-105 win…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/anthony-davis-injured-during-debut-224533629.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2025-02-08 22:45:00

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