Dallas Mavericks center Anthony Davis returned from a six-week injury stint to help the team secure a 120-101 road win over the Brooklyn Nets. In 26 minutes of action, Davis recorded 12 points, six assists, three rebounds, one block, and one steal while shooting 66.7% from the field.
“I feel good,” Davis said after the game. “I feel like I had a great rhythm, to be honest. I wasn’t trying to force anything.”
This was just the second start that Anthony Davis has made for the Mavs since he was traded to Dallas for Luka Dončić. His last game came on February 8th against the Houston Rockets, when he recorded 26 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists before straining his left adductor.
“Physically, I felt great,” he said last night. “It’s the mental aspect when you’re coming back from something like that. To mentally be ready to go out and play. I was mentally ready. But then getting into game action where you can’t anticipate what the other team is going to do. I overcame that in the first minute or so. From there, it was just about being smart. Obviously, I’m on a minutes restriction.”
Welcome back, Anthony Davis 💪
AD is on the board early in his return from an 18-game absence!
Mavs/Nets underway on NBA League Pass. pic.twitter.com/t9oNbwqF5X
— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2025
Davis played 27 minutes for the Mavs and was the team’s sixth-leading scorer. However, his six rebounds were tied for second on the team with center Dwight Powell.
“It was a positive experience,” said Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. “We tried to keep his run short. We tried to keep him under his minutes, and I thought he did an incredible job. I thought his rhythm was good. Sometimes, when you get a player back like AD, you want to dump the ball to him every time. I thought the guys did a good job of being aggressive and letting the ball find him.”
The Mavericks are currently tied with the Phoenix Suns in terms of record, but Phoenix leads the season series three games to one, meaning they are in sole possession of the tenth and final play-in spot as things stand.
“It was tough seeing these guys battling every single night. Winning close games,” Davis said. “Losing close games. Blowing teams out. Getting blown out. They are laying it on the line. For me, it was never a thought about if I was going to come back and play. Especially if I was healthy. We are undermanned. Guys are hurt. Gafford. Lively. Kyrie goes out. It was tough. Guys were leaving it on the floor. Guys laying on the floor in the locker room afterwards just gassed – to the point of exhaustion. There was no doubt I was going to come back and play. That makes you want to come out and play with these guys. Leave it on the floor and battle each and every night. As one of the leaders of the team, I just wanted to go out there and give them a breather at least.”
The Mavs are staying in New York City, where they will face the 44-26 New York Knicks tonight at 7:30 p.m. EST in Madison Square Garden.
