Dallas Mavericks fans will hope for an unlikely postseason run as their favorite team prepares to end the regular season with a big test against the Memphis Grizzlies.
While their status as a play-in team is secured, it’s tough to get hyped about their playoff chances. Without Kyrie Irving on the floor, the prospects of making it out of the play-in tournament and taking out the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games are slim.
One of the few positives Jason Kidd’s side has going for it is Anthony Davis being back to his usual business of dominating opposing squads. While the often-injured big man was a bit of a non-factor in Luka Doncic’s bittersweet homecoming, his play against the Toronto Raptors reminded fans why Nico Harrison pulled the trigger on the biggest trade in NBA history.
Anthony Davis notches first Dallas Mavericks triple-double in Raptors takedown
AD reminded everyone how dominant he is as a player during the Mavericks’ 102-124 rout of the visiting Toronto Raptors.
He finished the game with an impressive stat line of 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was efficient with his shot selection, making more than 50% of his 18 shot attempts. However, the triple-double is arguably not the biggest thing about his performance.
The most eye-catching stat was how he was three blocks away from a quadruple-double. The other most fascinating stat was that he achieved all this in only 30 minutes of play.
The rest of the Mavs also had a great game against the Raptors. PJ Washington and Dereck Lively II scored 14 and 10 points, respectively. The bench also had a huge cut of the scoring pie, with Max Christie, Brandon Williams, and Daniel Gafford also scoring in double digits.
LeBron James gets honest about former teammate
Davis wasn’t available when the Dallas Mavericks first played the Los Angeles Lakers after his trade, so the finality of the transaction still hasn’t sunk in for both sets of fans.
However, their last game of the season had everybody thinking that the move was indeed final. Even LeBron James couldn’t help commenting on how strange it was to see his former teammate don a jersey different from his.
Per Jacob Rude of Silver Screen and Roll:
“Different. Different,” LeBron said. “Obviously, we had our own emotions built into it. So, it was just different. I think that was the first time we played [against each other] since ‘19 when he was in New Orleans…It’s just different man. I ain’t got comfortable yet with him being on the other side.”
It’s unlikely that the two squads will meet in the postseason, so both sides have time to let the reality sink in. Mavs fans will only hope that Davis will make the painful separation from Doncic worth it.
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