There are concerns that Anthony Davis will not play again this season for the embattled Dallas Mavericks, who will try to avoid a fifth successive defeat when they visit Phoenix to face the Suns on Sunday night.
Davis has made just one appearance for Dallas since the blockbuster trade in which Luka Doncic went to the Los Angeles Lakers last month and has missed the past 10 games with a strained left adductor.
While a recent re-evaluation of the injury showed that he is “improving daily and has therefore been cleared for more dynamic on-court movements,” ESPN reported on Friday that it is still “very possible” that the 10-time All-Star has played his last game this season.
Dallas, already without star point guard Kyrie Irving, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Monday against Sacramento, suffered another blow this week with forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper expected to undergo season-ending surgery on his right wrist, per an ESPN report.
The Mavs’ deepening injury crisis has presented opportunities for unsung lesser lights to step up, which was evident in Friday’s 122-111 home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Reserve Brandon Williams scored a career-high 31 points and Naji Marshall posted career bests with 29 points and 17 rebounds in an honorable performance from a depleted outfit.
“This group is tough,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “The character is extremely high. They understand the situation at a high level and they’re taking full advantage of the situation. Again, as a Maverick, they’re out there trying to do the right thing, to win. They’re given an opportunity and it just shows that they’re ready for this opportunity.”
With so much star talent in street clothes, Dallas will need Williams, Marshall and others to continue to fill voids.
“There’s no No. 1 option — it’s team,” Kidd said. “Everyone touches it and whoever is open shoots it. We don’t have a No. 1 or No. 2, we’re not built like that right now. We’re built on team … this isn’t to run plays for one person.”
The 11th-placed Suns are nipping at the heels of the 10th-ranked Mavericks in the West and can close the gap further with victory.
Phoenix is coming off a titanic 149-141 road loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Devin Booker scored 34 points and Kevin Durant had 29, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer which forced overtime after the Suns had trailed by 21.
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer was buoyed by the way his side dug its way out of a large hole before almost reeling in the higher-placed Nuggets, who received a historic 31-point, 21-rebound, 22-assist triple-double from Nikola Jokic.
“A lot of good stuff on both ends,” Budenholzer said. “The early third quarter didn’t go well, then the fight from there on was great. Defensively digging in and offensively finding ways to score, the guys fought. That’s what we need. We need to have that kind of fight. Proud of how we fought back. We were there … just one more play.”
Durant is the league’s sixth-leading scorer entering Saturday, averaging 26.9 points, and Booker ranks ninth (26.0).
Durant has averaged 30.7 ppg in three meetings with Dallas this season, with Phoenix holding a 2-1 lead.
–Field Level Media
