The highly anticipated showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks is set for Tuesday, Feb. 25, with fans expecting fireworks on the court. It’s significant in multiple ways. Luka Dončić will square off against his former team after he was dispensed from the Mavs roster following a monumental trade that also sent Lakers veteran Anthony Davis to Jason Kidd’s side.
However, while Dončić is all set to unleash his basketball prowess against his former team, the same is not true for Davis. The 10-time NBA All-Star suffered a major setback in his debut game with the Mavericks, which has since sidelined him for weeks.
Latest Injury Update on Anthony Davis
Davis started strong in his debut game with Dallas against the Houston Rockets. Showing no signs of the sudden reshuffle he experienced following the trade, Davis stashed 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks during the first half of the game. Then, tragedy struck as Davis fell to his knees on defense after suffering an injury.
Initially, the Mavericks described it as a “lower-body injury.” However, later, it was clarified that the 2020 NBA champion had suffered a left adductor strain.
Following the injury, the Mavericks announced that Davis is making good progress but will remain sidelined for at least two more weeks, with a re-evaluation scheduled for March 6. It means Davis won’t be available for the highly intense clash against his former team.
When the trade first went through, Davis’ injury risk was one of the biggest critiques fans levied against the move. Due to his age (turning 32 in February) and lengthy injury history, fans felt like the four-time first-team All-NBA player was a poor replacement for Dončić.
However, Dallas’ head coach, although aware of the situation, is still optimistic that if the roster gets mostly healthy by mid-March, the Mavericks can still push for a strong claim to the playoffs. Currently, they sit eighth in the Western Conference with a 31-27 record.
“Beginning of the season, we had injuries right off the bat,” Kidd said. “And so it would be great to get healthy. But if we’re not healthy, we’ve got to deal with the cards that we have and put guys in a position to be successful.”
“I would say that our goals are still attainable,” Kidd said. “It’s a matter of, ‘Can we get healthy?’”
In response to Davis’ injury and other roster challenges, the Mavericks have signed center Moses Brown to a 10-day contract to bolster their frontcourt depth. The good news is their star point guard, Kyrie Irving, is doing well, being the team’s leading scorer in the last two games.
Yet, the challenge is formidable for Kidd’s side since the LeBron James and Dončić duo has finally found its rhythm. Together, they recently stashed 57 points against the Denver Nuggets.
As the Mavericks prepare to face the Lakers without Davis, Dallas will rely on its remaining roster to step up. The game is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
