Anthony Davis downplays injury that dampened historic Mavericks debut: ‘It’s nothing serious’

Anthony Davis‘ debut with the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday afternoon got off to a brilliant start, but the team’s 116-105 win over the Houston Rockets was dampened by the big man’s lower body injury, which forced him to the locker room for good early in the third quarter. This was Davis’ first game back after missing the previous five with an abdominal strain.

After Saturday’s win, Davis explained what happened on the play that caused him to miss the fourth quarter, and seemed to be in good spirits about not being on the sidelines for too much time going forward.

“My leg got tight, like a little spasm, came back and tried to get it loose, obviously dealing with the [abdominal] strain still, so was just trying to get it loose,” Davis said. “It wouldn’t loosen up or let go, but it’s nothing serious. I’m fine.”

Davis was all over the court in the first few minutes, as he set the tone with inspired play on both ends. Just 16 seconds into the game, he found his new frontcourt mate, Daniel Gafford, for an alley-oop. A few minutes later, he scored his first bucket for the Mavericks on a short turnaround, which started a personal 9-0 run. 

All told, Davis finished the first half with 24 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocks on 9 of 13 from the field to get the Mavericks out to a double-digit lead. He is the first player with at least 24 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in a half in the play-by-play era.

Davis also joins Charles Barkley (1992 with Suns) as the only player in the last 40 seasons with 25-plus points, 15-plus rebounds and 5-plus assists in their first game with a new team.

The fun came to an unfortunate end with just over two minutes to play in the third quarter. Davis was playing drop coverage in the pick-and-roll, and after Jalen Green hit Alperen Sengun with a pocket pass, Davis pivoted toward the Rockets big man. As he did so, he suddenly collapsed to the ground holding his groin. 

The Mavericks soon took a foul to take Davis out of the game and he did not return. He finished with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 30 minutes.

Davis said it was specifically the groin and quad area that he injured during the game. But given his comments, it doesn’t appear that significant to where the Mavericks should be concerned about him missing a chunk of time.

That’s a huge sigh of relief for Dallas, who also lost P.J. Washington on Saturday afternoon to a right ankle sprain, and are already without Dereck Lively II (fractured ankle), Dwight Powell (hip strain) and newly acquired Caleb Martin (hip strain). The Mavericks will need Davis to be healthy and as dominant as he was in the first half for the rest of the season to have a chance at securing a playoff spot, either through the Play-In or getting a top-six seed.

Dallas staked a lot of its present and near future on Davis after pulling the trigger on one of the most stunning trades in NBA history, where Davis was traded to the Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic. The blockbuster deal, which will be debated for years to come, has put Davis in a strange spot. He’s a 10-time All-Star and one of the best big men in the league, but will always represent the franchise player and fan favorite that the Mavericks lost. 

Mavs’ Anthony Davis says he’s going to ‘give the city life back’ after stunning Luka Doncic trade to Lakers

Jasmyn Wimbish

While the fans’ anger is directed at the front office, Davis will still feel as though he has to prove himself to Dallas. 

“I understand it, and obviously it’s a business and I get who Luka was to this franchise, to this city. I’m never gonna downplay that,” Davis said during his introductory press conference. “Just how I know what I meant to the city of L.A., so I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction and the city’s reaction. But it’s my job to come in, play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do, and give the fans hope and reassurance on why [Mavericks general manager] Nico [Harrison] brought me here.”

With the win over the Rockets, the Mavericks improved to 28-25, which has them in eighth place in the Western Conference. They are just 1.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth place and an automatic playoff spot.