LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis had a choice: Return from a one-month absence Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers’ high-powered offense or return Saturday against the LA Clippers, one of the NBA’s oldest and most disappointing teams.
Davis, who was medically cleared to play in only one of Dallas’ back-to-back games, chose the more difficult option. He wasn’t able to go in February, when the Dallas Mavericks and Lakers met in Los Angeles. He was sure he wasn’t going to sit out another game against his old team.
“You know what game I want to play,” Davis said Wednesday.
Davis tallied 12 points, five rebounds and five assists in his return from a left calf strain that sidelined him for 14 consecutive games. The Mavericks briefly held a one-point lead in the fourth quarter but couldn’t hold on in a 129-119 loss to a Lakers team that got big performances from Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. The duo combined to score 73 points on 33 shots as the Lakers improved to 3-0 against the Mavericks since the teams’ mega-trade in February, when Dallas and Los Angeles swapped Dončić for Davis.
“Any time you miss time, you have to let your body heal,” Davis said. “I felt ready.”
Actually, Davis said he felt ready weeks ago. He pushed to return to the lineup in a Nov. 8 game against the Washington Wizards. The Mavericks, who wanted to ensure Davis wasn’t at risk of re-injuring himself, didn’t feel comfortable putting him back on the court then. Three days after the Wizards game, Dallas fired general manager Nico Harrison, who was the biggest proponent of trading for Davis.
When the Mavericks and Lakers played each other in February, there was palpable energy inside Crypto.com Arena. Harrison memorably stood at midcourt in an electric blue suit while Dončić did his pregame warmup.
With Harrison out of the picture, Friday’s game didn’t feel as intense.
The Mavericks played well but couldn’t keep up with the Lakers’ shot-making ability. Dončić scored 35 points on 10-of-18 shooting and went a perfect 11 of 11 at the free-throw line. Reaves was even more efficient, needing only 15 shot attempts to score 38 points.
Afterward, Davis sought Reaves out so they could exchange jerseys. Reaves took it as a major sign of respect that a player of Davis’ caliber wanted his uniform.
“He’s one of the best players to touch a basketball,” Reaves said. “I don’t know why he wanted my jersey, but for me to get his is pretty fun.”
Davis had already helped lead the Lakers to a championship in 2020 when Reaves signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2021. In their 3 1/2 seasons as teammates, Davis watched Reaves transform from a crafty bench player to an every-night starter who is averaging more than 20 points per game.
“He always had it,” Davis said. “I think with (LeBron) being out, it gave him a chance to be that two option. When Luka was out of the game, he could kind of flourish and have control of the ball. Even with (LeBron) back, he still has the ball.
“They’re putting a lot of trust in him. When I was here, I always liked his game and what he was able to do. Now he’s doing it on a more consistent basis.”
Davis was supposed to play between 24 and 27 minutes. He ended up playing 28, slightly above minutes restriction. He won’t suit up Saturday against the Clippers, which was his choice. If the Mavericks were only going to let him play one leg of the back-to-back, he wanted it to be against the Lakers.
“We are competing,” Davis said. “We are playing for each other, playing together. Remember when Brooklyn started off (8-18) and ended up in the (playoffs)?”
The 2018-19 Brooklyn Nets got out of the gates slowly, just like the Mavericks have this year, but managed to nab a No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Right now, forecasting that type of turnaround for Dallas feels unlikely. The Mavericks are so thin at guard that they turned to undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard as a starter Friday. D’Angelo Russell — who ironically was an important member of that 2018-19 Nets squad — never got off the Mavericks’ bench Friday, per coach’s decision.
“I thought the effort was there on the road against a very talented team,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “We gave ourselves an opportunity tonight.”
The Mavericks retook the lead with 7:52 remaining on a Davis dunk. The Lakers quickly responded, riding Reaves and Dončić to the win. That duo combined for 15 points in the fourth quarter.
“We’ll keep getting good looks,” Davis said. “Making the right plays. Just a couple plays here and there that hurt us. Just keep playing, keep fighting, keep a positive attitude. (I) feel like we are right there.”