Anthony Davis played his first game in Dallas Mavericks’ colors. However, while the Mavericks secured a 116-105 victory over the Houston Rockets, Davis had a mixed bag. Following the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade, the expectations for Davis were shooting through the sky. Thankfully, the 31-year-old did not disappoint. In what was a sublime outing, Davis registered 26 points, seven assists, and 16 rebounds.
Unfortunately, just when things seemed to be going perfectly fine, Davis had a non-contact injury. During the third quarter, Davis tried to defend a driving dunk from Alperen Sengun. Soon after, Davis could be seen down on the ground, clutching his abdomen. Escorted out of the game, the scene certainly sent shockwaves through the Mavericks’ fans. With slow-mo video clarifying the situation, a possible Grade II strain could not be ruled out initially. This would mean Davis sitting out for at least 4 to 5 weeks.
This was the biggest concern with Anthony Davis rushing back from abdominal injury
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) February 8, 2025
-Making the strain worse than what it was
He could potentially now have a Grade II strain with a timeline to return of 4-6 WEEKS pic.twitter.com/0ZeFP7FuA8
Thankfully, as it turns out, the injury is not serious. “My leg got tight, like a little spasm. I came back to try to get it loose while still dealing with the abdominal strain. But I managed to loosen it up, and it’s nothing serious. I’m fine,” Davis said in an interaction with Grant Afseth from Dallas Hoops Journal. Meanwhile, with the fans pretty much enraged about the Luka Doncic trade, Davis tried to address the situation recently.
Anthony Davis Tries To Calm Mavericks’ Fans
Ever since Luka Doncic’s trade came to light, the Dallas Mavericks fans have gone berserk. Doncic, a fan favorite, made some significant contributions to taking the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. Thus, with such a shock exit, the fans naturally are having a tough time wrapping their heads around the incident. Trying to address the gravity of the situation, Anthony Davis recently addressed the issue publicly.
“I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction and the city’s reaction. But it’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do and give the fans hope and reassurance on why Nico brought me here,” Davis said while speaking to the Dallas Morning News.
"It's my job to come in, play basketball… and give the fans hope and reassurance…"
— NBA (@NBA) February 7, 2025
– AD on the @dallasmavs blockbuster trade to acquire him 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/aoEba75Bwo
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Surely, Anthony Davis is trying hard to make up for the loss of Luka Doncic. Whether or not he succeeds will be the big question to answer.
