At this point, you can't help but feel for Anthony Davis. The former Los Angeles Lakers star big man said all the right things after he was sent back to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the shocking Luka Doncic trade, acknowledging how much Luka meant to his franchise and fan base while vowing to do whatever he could to help his new team win big. And for one game, at least, he lived up to that vow, throwing down lobs and drilling 3s en route to a dominant first half of his Mavericks debut.
Of course, because this is Anthony Davis we're talking about, you know how the story ends: Midway through the third quarter, Davis doubled over in pain, having reaggravated the adductor strain that had sidelined him earlier in the season. He left the game with 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks, and he hasn't taken the court since.
All eyes are on Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night for Doncic's first game against the Mavs, an opportunity for one of the pettiest players in league history to author an all-time revenge game at the expense of the team that ran him out of town and leaked anonymously sourced reports about his weight and conditioning. It would also represent the chance for AD to come back to L.A., but his injury means that's not going to be in the cards.
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Anthony Davis' status for Mavericks at Lakers on February 25
Davis has already been confirmed as out for Tuesday's game, courtesy of the Mavericks' official injury report. It's still unclear exactly when he'll be back in the lineup for Dallas; the team announced on Feb. 20 that he would be reevaluated in two weeks, meaning we won't have a firmer timeline for return until next Thursday. At this point, it seems likely that AD could miss more than a month of time — and that's just the tip of the injury iceberg for the Mavs.
Mavericks' full injury report vs. Lakers on February 25
Dallas' injury report for the Lakers game remains as it has been ever since the All-Star Break. Davis, Dereck Lively II (ankle fracture), Daniel Gafford (MCL sprain) and Caleb Martin (hip strain) are all out, while Dwight Powell is doubtful with a hip strain of his own. P.J. Washington is listed as questionable with an ankle sprain, but he's played in both of the team's games to start the second half and should suit up again on Tuesday night.