Say what you will about the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Dončić, they are now 5-1 with Anthony Davis in the lineup. And he just had his best game yet.
The 10-time All-Star posted a Mavericks career high 34 points on 14-of-23 shooting plus 15 rebounds, five blocks and two assists in a 120-118 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. He saved the best for last, driving past Onyeka Okongwu for a game-winning floater.
The game saw 13 different lead changes and the Mavericks erase a deficit as large as 11 points in the third quarter, though they nearly blew their own double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. Davis’ shot saved them.
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Before Wednesday, Davis hadn’t scored more than 18 points since returning from injury. He had left the game earlier after taking a friendly fire elbow, but was back on the court before long.
Davis was famously the primary return in arguably the most controversial trade in NBA history, which saw Dončić head to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team swap that triggered a torrent of criticism, both from fans and the media, against Dallas and general manager Nico Harrison.
Davis didn’t have control over any of that and was fortunately given a warm reception when he made his Mavericks debut. Unfortunately, he played about three quarters of basketball before going down with a left adductor strain, which sidelined him for a month and a half. It wasn’t the start the Mavericks needed after taking a franchise-altering risk.
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While Davis was out, the Mavericks were so beset by injuries they had little to play for by the time he came back. His co-star Kyrie Irving is out for the season and the team is still down multiple other members of its rotation. The team is 38-39 and currently holds a play-in spot, but not many are expecting a playoff run from them.
They’ve at least looked better since Davis returned, though, with wins over the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic in that span.
