Two months after the NBA trade panned around the world, Anthony Davis makes his return to Los Angeles on Friday night as the Dallas Mavericks open a two-game set against the Clippers.
Davis, traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to Dallas on Feb. 2, has only played six games with the Mavs (38-39) because of an injury — but they’re 5-1 in those six and holding on to a spot in the play-in tournament.
Davis enjoyed his best night in a Mavs jersey on Wednesday. He put up 34 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks and drained a tough fadeaway with 3.4 seconds left to clinch a 120-118 win over Atlanta.
“It’s good to see that he’s starting to get in a rhythm,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd of Davis, who was 14 of 23 from the field. “Also, just (learning) new teammates, his teammates are trying to learn him.”
“Any time you’re coming off an injury — whether it’s six weeks or eight weeks, whatever it may be that you missed — you missed time, you’re rusty and obviously he wants to carry this team and he wants to perform,” said Mavs veteran Spencer Dinwiddie. “Coming to a new situation off an injury — new play callers, new everything — I feel like sometimes he was thinking versus hooping. He’s one of the best players of all-time, but just hoop, man.”
Davis spent five-and-a-half seasons hooping with the Lakers, where he was an All-Star three times and won the NBA title in 2020.
After a season of turmoil in Dallas — highlighted by the trade of Luka Doncic and the season-ending injury to Kyrie Irving — making the play-in would be a big accomplishment. The Mavs, Suns and Kings are fighting for the last two spots with two weeks left.
“We would like a home (play-in tournament) game, and then we would like to win that and go and play wherever we would like to go,” said Mavs guard Klay Thompson. “But we all are very desperate to play in the playoffs.”
The Clippers (44-32) are currently seventh in the West, but only 2.5 games out of third place. They have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning nine of their last 11 games. Their only losses have come to the best two teams in the NBA: Cleveland and Oklahoma City.
“I think we’re playing the right way,” said Clippers center Ivica Zubac. “We’re building our team defensively. Just the level of how everyone is on a string, everyone is playing together, covering each other on defense. It’s been at a higher level than it was earlier in the year. So, everyone has the right mindset. Everybody is focused on us getting wins.”
Kawhi Leonard has come on strong during the Clippers’ recent run. He has averaged 26.4 points in his last five games. James Harden leads the Clippers with 22.5 points per game.
“Everyone is paying attention to the standings,” Harden said. “But I think we control our own destiny, you know what I mean? So, we just want to be playing well, no matter who we’re playing against. Obviously, it’s going to work out how it’s going to work out. But for us it’s just playing well and controlling what we can control.”
The two teams also play in the Intuit Dome on Saturday night. They split two games in Dallas in December.
–Field Level Media
