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Tim McMahon
Los Angeles–It’s been almost a month anthony davis played for the last time dallas mavericksBut his former coach JJ Redick vowed to give the 10-time All-Star the “necessary level of attention” in Davis’ return on Friday night. Los Angeles Lakers,
This was evident the first time Davis touched the ball, when another Lakers defender turned to him, setting the tone.
Davis, who had been out since October 29 with a left calf strain, finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks for the Mavs. 129-119 Loss to the Lakers. He shot 6 of 10 and did not attempt a free throw in 28 minutes, slightly over the scheduled minutes restriction.
“We weren’t really trying to force anything,” Davis said. “Every time I caught the ball they were kind of double-teaming. As soon as I caught it and turned, there were two guys in front of me. I was just trying to make the right play with passes and shots. [will] When I have a chance to score, come to me, but the momentum will come there.”
When Davis’ name was called during pregame introductions, Lakers fans gave a loud applause. It was their first game played at the Crypto.com Arena since being involved in the surprise blockbuster deal on February 2. luka doncic To Los Angeles.
Doncic, who said the matchup with the Mavs will always “hold something special for me,” had another stellar performance that seems to be the standard for him, scoring 35 points and dishing out 11 assists.
lakers shooting guard Austin Reeves He was certainly the best player on the court Friday, scoring 38 points on 12-of-15 shooting before exchanging jerseys with his former teammate Davis after the game.
“He’s one of the best players to ever touch a basketball,” Reeves said of Davis. “I don’t know why he wanted my jersey, but for me to get his jersey, it’s so fun. … I’ve got a lot of love for Eddie. He’s a big reason [I am] Where am I now? From day one, he was telling me to be myself, not to be someone else. Keep working and really, just be yourself on the court. So I owe him a lot.”
It’s been a difficult tenure for Davis in Dallas, as injuries have limited him to just 15 games and a few play-outs since the trade, which ultimately led to the firing of Mavs general manager Nico Harrison earlier this month.
Davis will not play against on Saturday night LA Clippers Since the Mavs continue to take a cautious approach with him.
Davis said he felt he was ready to return a few weeks ago and that his personal medical staff had cleared him to play against washington wizardsBut after Dallas health and performance director Johan Bilsborough expressed concerns, Mavs governor Patrick Dumont put Davis’ return plans on hold until medical data indicated there was no risk of aggravating a calf strain or sustaining a related catastrophic injury,
Meanwhile, the Mavs faltered near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They are 5-15 after Friday’s loss.
“Whenever you sit down and watch these guys, especially in close games, you wish you could have been there,” Davis said. “As one of the leaders, you want to go out there. It’s a competitive nature to go out and help these guys, but now I have the opportunity to do that.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.
