Anthony Davis’ night in Oklahoma City was already spiraling before a knee-to-knee collision in the third quarter added another layer of concern. The Dallas Mavericks star, held scoreless through three quarters and blitzed throughout by the Thunder’s top-ranked defense, went down clutching his left knee after colliding with Chet Holmgren at the 6:35 mark of the period.
The Thunder immediately took advantage of the five-on-four break, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drilling an open three that pushed Oklahoma City’s lead even further out of reach. Davis stayed down briefly before exiting for the remainder of the quarter. He applied ice to both knees on the bench as the Mavericks fell deeper behind in what became a 132–111 loss.
But after the game, Davis downplayed the injury and said he intends to suit up for Saturday’s home matchup against the Houston Rockets.
“I hold myself accountable for the play, but we don’t have time — I don’t have time — to dwell on it,” Davis said. “We have a 24-hour turnaround, and we play tomorrow. Gotta get prepared for tomorrow.”
He added that his knee is “fine,” reinforcing that he expects to be available for the second leg of the back-to-back.
Anthony Davis’ Knee Contact Appears Minor After In-Game Scare
The momentary scare came during a night where little went Davis’ way. Before the knee contact, he struggled to carve out space inside against a Thunder defense that filled the paint, fronted his post entries, and rotated bodies on every catch.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd confirmed after the game that he believed the collision was only incidental.
“I don’t know. Maybe they just bumped knees,” Kidd said. “But he was fine. He went back in and he was fine.”
Davis returned to start the fourth quarter and finally scored his first points of the night — a reverse layup at the 8:08 mark — after being held scoreless through the first 36 minutes. He finished with two points on 1-for-9 shooting but added eight rebounds and six assists.
Despite his limited offensive production, Davis’ availability Saturday is significant. He has not yet played in both legs of a back-to-back since returning from his left calf strain, and Dallas remains short-handed in the frontcourt with Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington out.
Dallas Mavericks Need Davis as They Navigate Injuries and Defensive Challenges
The Mavericks will return home for a difficult turnaround against a Houston team boasting one of the NBA’s top defenses. While Dallas saw encouraging signs from Jaden Hardy, Naji Marshall, and Cooper Flagg in the loss to Oklahoma City, the absence of two key bigs has placed heavy responsibility on Davis to stabilize the team on both ends.
Kidd acknowledged the difficult matchup but reinforced that Dallas must adjust quickly.
“We gotta look at how we can get him better looks, even with the double teams,” Kidd said of Davis.
The Thunder’s defensive approach — loading the paint, denying deep catches, and sending multiple bodies early — mirrors what Dallas can expect from Houston, making Davis’ recovery window especially tight.
But Davis maintained that there is no time to linger on the loss, the struggles, or the pain.
“Be on the plane, land, sleep, wake up,” he said. “Don’t have much time to sit on it. Get ready for tomorrow.”
As the Mavericks cling to momentum after a recent three-game win streak, Davis’ decision to play through minor contact offers both stability and urgency for a team navigating injuries and searching for rhythm down the stretch.
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