Fans of the Dallas Mavericks may need to brace themselves for more bad news.
Already reeling from the widely-panned trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the player they got in return – Anthony Davis – could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
ESPN reported Sunday night that Davis will be missing for several weeks due to a left adductor strain sustained on his debut against the Houston Rockets.
Davis exited with 1:37 left in the third quarter on Saturday but not before delivering a masterful display, recording 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes.
Anthony Davis went to the locker room with a non-contact injury pic.twitter.com/uq4671SOJG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 8, 2025
📰 Table Of Contents
Dazzling debut before injury struck
His performance would have lifted the spirits of the Mavs fans only for their hopes to be swiftly dashed by the news he won’t be seen again for perhaps a month.
Davis, who missed five straight games prior to Saturday with an abdominal strain, said after the game he did not think it was serious.
“Just the leg got tight, like a little spasm,” he said. “Just came back and tried to get it loose and everything. Obviously, dealing with the ab strain still, so just tried to get it loose. It wouldn’t really loosen up and let go, but it’s nothing serious. I’m fine.”
However, further tests are thought to have revealed something not previously detected.
The fall-out from the trade that saw Doncic move to the Lakers continued over the weekend. Fans protested outside American Airlines Center before tipoff against the Rockets while assistant coach Marko Milic stood down due to the departure of his fellow Slovenian.
Dumont does little to calm anger
Mavs owner Patrick Dumont also gave an interview to the Dallas Morning News that did little to quell the noise, suggesting Doncic’s conditioning did not align with the team’s principles.
Dumont said: “In my mind the way teams win is by focus, by having the right character, by having the right culture, and having the right dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome. And if you’re not doing that, you’re going to lose.
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with – [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] – they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win. And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.
“That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”
