Anthony Davis exits Mavericks debut with non-contact injury, but says it’s ‘nothing serious’

Anthony Davis’ debut with the Dallas Mavericks was going as well as the team could have hoped, until the end of the third quarter.

The big man, who was the primary return in the massively controversial Luka Dončić trade, exited the game against the Houston Rockets with a non-contact injury, apparently to his groin. He walked off the court under his own power, but in clear discomfort.

Davis was later announced to be doubtful to return with a lower-body injury. When asked about his status after the game, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd reportedly said “I guess alright” and said the team would know more Sunday.

Davis told reporters he felt tightness in his groin/quad area, but that it was “nothing serious.”

The Mavericks won 116-105.

Until his injury, the 31-year-old Davis was doing a decent job of showing why the Mavericks’ front office believed he could replace Dončić as the face of the franchise. He exited the game with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes while Dallas was leading the fourth-place team in the West 83-75.

He might have joined the franchise less than a week ago, but he still knew what to do on a pick-and-roll with Kyrie Irving.

Despite the circumstances around his acquisition, Davis also received a warm reception from Mavericks fans inside the arena.

Davis is no stranger to injury issues, as he was returning Friday from the abdominal injury that forced him to miss five games. He has appeared in more than 56 games only once in the past five seasons.

Mavericks need Anthony Davis to be an instant superstar

Davis began his Mavericks career under as dark a cloud as one could imagine for a player of his caliber. He might be a 10-time All-Star and perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but he was replacing a player six years younger than him who is widely considered to be one of the most valuable in the NBA, as well as one of the most beloved by a fan base.

Dallas clearly felt an attachment to Dončić, and that was visible outside American Airlines Center before the game, the Mavs’ first at home since the trade was executed, on Friday. Hordes of fans gathered outside the building to protest the move, chanting and carrying signs with most of their ire directed at Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.

The Mavericks reportedly beefed up security ahead of the game in anticipation of unruly fans, with Harrison also facing death threats. Harrison explained the move as a needed improvement to his team’s defense, while reporters relayed concerns about Dončić’s conditioning and upcoming contract extension, but the executive remains one of the most unpopular people in Dallas at the moment, and likely for the foreseeable future.

It usually takes years to properly evaluate which team “won” a trade, but the Mavericks are in the unenviable position of needing the move to work out as quickly as possible lest they lose even more fans. A significant Davis injury would not help there.