The Anthony Davis era in Dallas has officially begun.
The Dallas Mavericks’ newest superstar made a dominant statement in the first 30 minutes of his debut in Saturday’s matinee against the Houston Rockets.
Big-to-big lob passes. Emphatic dunks. Mid-range fadeaways. Timely rejections. A couple of 3-pointers.
There wasn’t much Davis didn’t do in his first official game in a Mavericks uniform. And his early production gave Dallas enough of a cushion to fend off the youthful Rockets with a 115-106 win despite his fourth-quarter absence with a lower-body injury.
Saturday marked the first Mavericks game at American Airlines Center since Davis was acquired, and subsequently, Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. More than a hundred fans gathered outside the arena to express their frustration about the league’s most shocking trade, while those inside AAC welcomed Davis with a warm reception.
“It was great,” Davis said of the home fan base. “All day I was trying to figure out what reaction I was going to have. Obviously it was welcoming and I think that kind of helped with my energy. With the crowd reacting the way they did with a big-time win. Just trying to keep it going.”
The All-Star produced a dominant showing with 26 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists while setting the table for Dallas’ second consecutive victory. He accounted for three of the team’s 18 blocks, a new franchise record. The Mavericks improved to 28-25, while the Rockets lost their sixth straight game and dropped to 32-20.
The moment the ball was tipped, Davis provided a glimpse of his goal to revitalize a city mourning the loss of its former franchise superstar. The Mavericks called his number on the first play of the game, prompting Houston to send a double team. Davis quickly recognized the numbers advantage and threw a lob to Daniel Gafford, who threw down a two-handed slam over Amen Thompson.
Shortly after that play, Davis sent shockwaves through the arena with his first block of the game on Alperen Sengun. He then passed the ball to P.J. Washington for a breakaway dunk in transition.
It wasn’t long until Davis was part of the scoring action. His first official basket as a member of the Mavericks was a page out of Dirk Nowitzki’s book as he posted the smaller Thompson up on the block, while fading away for a midrange jumper.
After catching his own miss for a tip-slam, Davis’ expression said more than enough to proclaim his impromptu arrival in Dallas: “I’m here!,” he screamed.
“Just playing with a lot of emotion,” Davis said. “Obviously, I know this city has a lot of emotion right now. I’m just trying to do my job and change that emotion for good. … Just a little friendly reminder of who Anthony Davis is.”
That emotional burst came out once more when he and new co-star Kyrie Irving connected for their first alley-oop as Mavericks teammates. The two celebrated what’s likely to be the first of many lobs by executing their signature handshake.
But the excitement didn’t last much longer.
Groans filled the arena with 2:16 left in the third quarter when Davis grabbed his groin area while defending Sengun. He grimaced as he walked back on the offensive end and signaled for a substitution.
Davis wasn’t able to join his teammates for the next defensive possession and remained close to the Mavericks’ bench until he was subbed out of the game. He was initially ruled as doubtful to return, but remained in the locker room while his teammates closed the game.
After the game, he said the injury was to his groin and quad area.
“It wouldn’t loosen up and let go,” Davis said. “It’s nothing serious. I’m fine.”
He appeared to be moving well in the locker room after the game and said he’s confident the injury won’t be a long-term concern.
Davis’ debut was delayed because of an abdominal muscle strain he suffered as a member of the Lakers on Jan. 28. Coach Jason Kidd said in his pregame news conference Davis would play 36 to 38 minutes, but he finished with 30 because of his latest injury.
Washington also missed the second half with a right ankle sprain, adding to the team’s injury woes in a season mired with them.
Despite losing two more pivotal players to injury, the Mavericks maintained their composure thanks to several contributions from others, especially new addition Max Christie, who finished with 23 points – five shy of his career high. Naji Marshall added 16 points.
Davis offered a brief showing of what Dallas is capable of when he’s on the floor. It’s unclear if he’ll miss an extended amount of time because of the injury, but for one day, a dominant performance, coupled with winning, appeared to heal some of the residual pain from the Doncic trade.
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