LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis received a warm ovation as he was officially introduced as a member of the Dallas Mavericks ahead of his first game at Crypto.Com Arena in 309 days.
It was a proper welcome back to Los Angeles after he was forced to miss the first game in his former city as an opponent earlier this year. A few moments later, LeBron James gave his old teammate a playful bump before the two completed their signature handshake.
After nearly a month, Davis returned to the Mavericks’ lineup and offered a much-needed boost on both sides of the ball, but the man for whom he was traded for played a pivotal role in his team’s latest loss.
Mavericks
Luka Doncic’s double-double of 35 points, five rebounds and 11 assists helped the Lakers defeat the Mavericks 129-119 on Friday night in the final Group Play game of the NBA Cup.
The loss spoiled the return of Davis, who hadn’t played since Oct. 29 because of a calf strain. Playing on a minutes restriction, the Mavericks big man finished with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes.
Davis scored his first points of the game from an alley-oop assisted by Ryan Nembhard, who earned his first career start and provided a boost with his scoring. The two-way rookie guard had 17 points and four assists, while making significant shots from the perimeter.
While it was Nembhard’s first start, Friday marked the first time veteran guard D’Angelo Russell did not play despite being active. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said the decision was rooted in wanting to find consistency with a two-point guard rotation.
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“We wanted to look at that,” Kidd said. “A lot of the times, with three centers or three point guards, you try to play everybody but we’re just trying to get some minutes to see if we can be consistent here.”
For Davis, it was hard to find a sense of consistency, especially when he was limited to five-minute bursts since he had a restriction of 24-27 minutes. The Mavericks’ goal was for him to finish the game healthy, which was achieved at the expense of his ability to find a rhythm.
“It’s always tough on a minutes restriction,” Davis said. “You want to play, especially in the fourth. Even in the first three quarters, five minutes is definitely a short stint. I’m used to playing nine or the whole first quarter. It was definitely different for the rhythm and for the mental.”
Davis said he will get some work in on Saturday, but Kidd confirmed he will not be available since the Mavericks plan to rest him for the second leg of the back-to-back against the Clippers. He is expected to return to the lineup Monday in Denver.
P.J. Washington led the Mavericks with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Naji Marshall added 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Doncic’s scoring and playmaking was on full display. The Mavericks trapped him as much as they could throughout the game, but it set the stage for Doncic to find his teammates for open 3-pointers. Reaves was a beneficiary of those open looks. He led the Lakers with 38 points and eight rebounds on 12-of-15 shooting from the field.
Doncic was slightly subdued in the first quarter by picking up two early personal fouls. He expressed frustration after the second and was issued a technical foul. Still, he managed to score 10 points in the period, including a 3-pointer over Klay Thompson. After the shot went through the net, Doncic gave Thompson a pat on the backside.
Doncic, who improved to 3-0 against the Mavericks, was animated throughout the game. He joked with his former teammates throughout the game, including Thompson, Marshall, Washington and Brandon Williams. He kept his competitive nature on display as well. In the second quarter, Doncic connected on a shot over Cooper Flagg and smiled at the Mavericks’ bench.
While the game didn’t have the same emotionally charged atmosphere of the two matchups from last season, Doncic said the matchup against his former team will always bear a level of significance.
“I would say it’s a little easier now, but games against Dallas, they always have some special meaning to me,” Doncic said. “I still have a lot of friends there. It’s fun…It’ll always be special for me.”
The first matchup between Doncic, the former face of the Mavericks, and the future face of the franchise, Flagg, went in favor of the veteran. The 18-year-old rookie’s versatility was on full display. He finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Los Angeles, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Kyusung Gong / AP
James’ performance was overlooked with the dynamic duo of Reaves and Doncic, but the 40-year-old forward totaled 13 points, five rebounds and seven assists. He received a warm round of applause from the Lakers crowd after a 3-pointer with two minutes left that gave the Lakers a double-digit lead that allowed them to cruise to victory.
Earlier in the quarter, Davis managed to emphatically block James’ shot toward his team’s bench. When asked if he found pleasure from rejecting his former teammate, Davis shrugged off the play.
“No. It presented itself. I get pleasure in winning.”
Davis’ next opportunity to capture that elusive win against his former team will be on Jan. 24 at American Airlines Center.
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