“Second Nature”: Anthony Davis’ Game-Winner Lifts Mavericks Past Hawks as Dereck Lively II Returns

With the game tied and just seconds remaining, Anthony Davis calmly delivered a shot he’s practiced for years — a signature midrange jumper from the left side — to seal the Dallas Mavericks’ 120-118 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at American Airlines Center.

“I’ve been shooting that shot since I was playing in New Orleans, so it’s a shot that I’m very comfortable and familiar with,” Davis said. “Coach [Jason] Kidd drew up a play for me to have the ball on the left side of the floor, which I like to get to. I just beat my man and shot a shot that I’ve been shooting for a long time. When you work on [that shot] so much it becomes second nature.”

The shot — a leaning floater over Onyeka Okongwu with 3.4 seconds left — capped a monster performance from Davis, who finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks in 30 minutes despite a first-quarter collision that required tape above his right eye.

The win moves Dallas to 38-39, a game-and-a-half ahead of 10th-place Sacramento in the Western Conference. Coupled with Washington’s victory over the Kings, the Mavericks strengthened their hold on the No. 9 seed with five games remaining.

A Big Night for Bigs

Davis was dominant from the opening tip, going 14-of-23 from the field and controlling the paint. His connection with Daniel Gafford — who returned Monday from a 21-game absence due to a right knee sprain — continued to show promise, including an early lob dunk from Davis to open the second quarter.

“It’s good to see that he’s starting to get in a rhythm,” Kidd said. “Just new teammates, his teammates are trying to learn him. I thought AD had a lot of great looks. He was assertive from the beginning, even when he had to leave to get the stitches.”

The Mavericks also welcomed back center Dereck Lively II, who missed 36 games due to a right ankle stress fracture suffered Jan. 14. The second-year big man returned to the starting lineup and contributed four points, five rebounds, and a block in 16 minutes.

“His energy for the [16] minutes that he played, he was great,” Kidd said. “Being able to change shots… I thought he did a really good job tonight on both ends, especially being out that long.”

Late-Game Execution

The Mavericks overcame an 11-point third-quarter deficit and surged ahead 108-96 early in the fourth thanks to a pair of lobs from Thompson and Lively to Davis. But Atlanta stormed back with a 22-7 run, capped by a Dyson Daniels three and Okongwu floater, to take a 118-115 lead with 1:46 remaining.

Klay Thompson responded with a game-tying three-pointer — his fifth of the night — with 41.3 seconds left.

“That was a really incredible shot,” Thompson said of Davis’ winner. “People don’t know how hard it is to do — driving left, float, going right. But what an incredible performance from Anthony tonight. That was ridiculous.”

On the Hawks’ final possession, Dallas trusted Davis to defend Trae Young one-on-one. The 10-time All-Star forced a tough, high-arching three that never had a chance.

“For me it’s no challenge,” Davis said. “I know he’s a big shot-taker and shot-maker. My job there is just not to foul, and make him take a tough shot, which I did.”

Added Dinwiddie: “We said, ‘Hey, AD got him, and we’ll live with the results.’”

Balanced Support and Bench Depth

Thompson finished with 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from deep. Spencer Dinwiddie posted 14 points and 10 assists. Jaden Hardy added 13 points off the bench, with Max Christie and Gafford scoring 11 each.

Dallas shot 53.0% from the field, 45.5% from three, and 81% from the free-throw line — marking the sixth game this season they’ve hit those thresholds in a win.

“It’s good to see the players be able to execute, the fans are into the game, and for the ball to bounce our way tonight,” Kidd said. “As much as we want to play fast, we also can’t leave the big guys behind. We got to make sure that they touch the ball.”

Looking Ahead

The Mavericks now travel to Los Angeles for back-to-back games against the Clippers on Friday and Saturday, followed by a home matchup with the Lakers on April 9. Dallas is rounding into shape with Davis, Gafford, and now Lively back in the fold at just the right time.

“We’ve seen it a little bit in stretches,” Davis said. “But we won’t actually know, because we’re missing Kai [Irving]. We can’t play the what-if game. We focus on who we have in the locker room and just try to stay together and make some noise.”