LOS ANGELES — It had been almost a month since Anthony Davis last played for the Dallas Mavericks, but his former coach JJ Redick vowed pregame to give the 10-time All-Star the «requisite level of attention» in Davis' return Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
That was evident from the first time Davis touched the ball, when a second Lakers defender rotated to him, setting the tone.
Davis, who had been sidelined since Oct. 29 because of a left calf strain, finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks in the Mavs' 129-119 loss to the Lakers. He was 6-of-10 shooting and didn't attempt a free throw in 28 minutes, slightly exceeding the minutes restriction that had been set.
«We weren't really trying to force anything,» Davis said. «They were kind of double-teaming every time I caught the ball. As soon as I catch it and turn around, it was two guys in my face. I was just trying to make the right play with the pass. The shots [will] come to me when I have an opportunity to score, but the rhythm's going to get there.»
Lakers fans gave Davis a loud applause when his name was called during pregame introductions. This was the first game that he played at Crypto.com Arena since he was traded in the Feb. 2 shocking blockbuster deal that delivered Luka Doncic to Los Angeles.
Doncic, who said matchups with the Mavs will always have «some special meaning to me,» had another spectacular performance that seems standard for him, scoring 35 points and dishing out 11 assists.
Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves was arguably the best player on the court Friday, scoring 38 points on 12-of-15 shooting before exchanging jerseys postgame with his former teammate Davis.
«He's one of the best players to ever touch a
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