Anthony Davis Set for Mavericks Return Against Nets After Adductor Strain
Anthony Davis returns to play for the Dallas Mavericks against the Brooklyn Nets after being sidelined since suffering an adductor strain on February 8.
After missing more than a month with an adductor strain, Anthony Davis is set to return to the Dallas Mavericks lineup. He has remained sidelined since February 8 following his injury in a game against the Houston Rockets and will play Monday night when the Mavericks face the Brooklyn Nets in New York.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd indicated Davis would be on a minutes restriction, expected to play around 28 minutes as he eases back into full competition.
"You have to commend him for working to get back,” Kidd said of Davis working hard to return. “This is his job. He feels responsible to get back to work. That first part is who he is. And the second part, yeah, we can always talk about the future. That's the balance that we have to look at.
“Tonight's the start of him working towards hopefully playing the rest of the season, but we have to remember he gets paid to play,” Kidd continued. “I know some may think this is a joke, but his character of working to get back with 12 games left just shows how much he cares about what he wants to do, and that's to help this team win."
Last week, Davis played five-on-five with the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, to ramp up his activity to return to NBA action.
“Luckily, he was on my team, so I saw it from a different standpoint,” Legends guard Zhaire Smith told RG about Davis. “I didn’t want any actions with him before that! But really, just the way he gets to his spots and is unguardable. He can score from three, block shots—what can you do? He’s just elite. When he’s healthy, I can’t wait to watch him in action and see how what he did in practice translates to the game.”
The Mavericks did not limit Davis’ minutes in his Mavericks debut against the Rockets despite him coming off an abdominal strain. Instead, he played a season-high 21 minutes in the first half, then did not finish the third quarter due to suffering an adductor strain — a connected injury. Davis finished the night with 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks, punishing the Rockets’ small ball lineup with Jabari Smith Jr. out, prompting Houston to go big with Steven Adams at center.
"We'd like to have a healthy, positive experience on the minutes restriction that he'll be on,” Kidd said. “We understand he's one of the best players in the world, but he's been out for some time... The last time we saw him in Houston, everyone was excited. Unfortunately, he got hurt, but for him to be back, to just build on what he did in that Houston game. Just have to knock some of the rust off and hope he's healthy coming out of this."
The Mavericks intend to maximize Davis’ playing time at the power forward position alongside another center. With Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford sidelined the only traditional big man options for Dallas include Dwight Powell and Kai Jones to pair with Davis until more injury returns occur.
Davis isn’t expected to play on the second night of a back-to-back when the Mavericks face the New York Knicks on Tuesday. However, Davis will have a day off before Dallas faces the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls to finish the four-game Eastern Conference road trip.
With Davis back in the mix, the Mavericks can hold onto the one game they have for Kessler Edwards to play on his two-way contract. He often started as a small ball center during the long list of recent frontcourt injuries the team has encountered.
The Mavericks remain in the mix for the 10th spot in the Western Conference. They enter Monday’s game ranked 11th with a 34-37 record but trail the Phoenix Suns, who possess an identical record, due to not holding the tiebreaker.
Davis has been vocal about his desire to return and contribute as the Mavericks strive to secure their playoff berth despite Kyrie Irving’s season-ending ACL tear. Before his injury, he delivered impressive performances, averaging 25.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, while also serving as a defensive anchor.
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