Source: Tim Heitman / Getty
The Los Angeles Lakers trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic already seems to be working in their favor.
Davis has a history of injuries, and in his first game as a Maverick, they were on full display. With just two minutes left in the third quarter, Jalen Green tossed the ball to Alperen Sengun, and Davis attempted to adjust on defense. Sengun managed to get the dunk, and Davis fell to the ground, holding his groin, appearing to have a no-contact injury.
The Mavs intentionally fouled to get Davis out of the game as he seemed to wince in pain and wouldn’t return.
After an evaluation, it was revealed that Davis has an abductor strain, and according to ESPN, he’ll be out for several weeks, up to a month.
Noncontact injuries can be scary, so after the game, Davis explained that the situation wasn’t that serious despite his falling to the court.
Davis on his injury after the early emotion of the afternoon. Says he feels confident that injury not significant. pic.twitter.com/DpVKtRL0Wo
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 8, 2025
“My leg got tight, like a little spasm, came back and tried to get it loose, obviously dealing with the [abdominal] strain still, so was just trying to get it loose,” Davis told the media. “It wouldn’t loosen up or let go, but it’s nothing serious. I’m fine.”
Before the injury, Davis seemed to have a chip on his shoulder, showing why he was worth the trade as he ripped up and down the court in the team’s 116-105 win, finishing the game with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in just 30 minutes. He made history as just the third Mavericks player to record 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a half since the play-by-play era was introduced in the late 1990s.
The last thing the Mavs need right now is another injured player, as their starters have been riddled. On Saturday, P.J. Washington was also hurt, suffering a right ankle sprain. This is in addition to Derrick Lively II’s fractured ankle from January and Dwight Powell’s hip strain, which has led to him missing more than 10 games in a row. The AD trade also included Caleb Martin from the 76ers, who’s also recovering from a hip strain.
As for Doncic’s Lakers era, he’s still recovering from a calf strain, so we’ve yet to see what the potential tandem with LeBron James will look like.
But for now, see how social media is reacting to Davis’ injury in his Dallas debut below.
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