Following multiple midseason trades, the Los Angeles Lakers looked to start a furious run in late February that they hoped would result in them returning to the NBA playoffs.
After defeating the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 23, they visited the Dallas Mavericks, a team that, at the time, seemed to be a lock to make the playoffs. If the Lakers wanted to get there, they would likely need to notch a win versus Luka Doncic’s crew and make a statement.
They fell behind 48-21 early in the second quarter and looked to be dead in the water. But they started to rally and trimmed their deficit to 61-47 at halftime, and in the third quarter, Anthony Davis’ 11 points finally got them to within one possession.
Unfortunately, disaster struck in the period when LeBron James injured his right foot and apparently heard a pop. He exited the game and returned shortly afterward, but his mobility was limited, and he clearly needed help to bring home the win.
Davis was happy to help with 11 points in the third quarter and eight points and five rebounds in the final period. His offensive rebound and dunk with two minutes remaining put L.A. in front by one, and with 18 seconds left, he hit a perimeter jumper to give his team a three-point cushion, which happened to be the final margin of victory.
In all, Davis had 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting, 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots. It was the type of game many have wanted to see from him on a consistent basis, especially when James was either injured or not playing very well.