The Dallas Mavericks picked up a crucial 120-118 win over the Atlanta Hawks at American Airlines Center on Wednesday. Anthony Davis was the star of the show for the Mavericks as he hit the game-winner and finished the night with 34 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal and five blocks.
This was easily Davis’ best performance since returning from the adductor injury he suffered on his Mavericks debut. The 10-time All-Star had averaged just 14.3 points on 37.7% shooting from the field in the four games prior, and it turns out there’s a good reason why he was able to turn things around.
“There’s a mental hurdle of allowing my body to just be free,” Davis said, via Joey Mistretta. “… Even though I’ve been pain-free and haven’t had any problems, I always have a burst and then, like, start thinking about it. So, you know, tonight just made up my mind after my pregame that I was just going to play and whatever happens, happens. Just go out there, play with a lot of energy, a lot of force.”
Anthony Davis on how he is feeling: “There’s a mental hurdle of allowing my body to just be free… Even though I’ve been pain free and haven’t had any problems, I always have a burst and then, like, start thinking about it. So, you know, tonight just made up my mind after my…
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) April 3, 2025
Davis certainly played with a lot more force than he had in recent games. Considering he had been out for nearly two months, you can understand that it took him some time to get over that mental hurdle.
Davis’ injury was non-contact, too, which led to him hesitating to go all out on his return. The 32-year-old has put all that behind him now, though, and the Mavericks would be thrilled by that.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Davis’ heroics helped the Mavericks improve to 38-39 this season. They are ninth in the Western Conference and are now 1.5 games ahead of the 36-40 Sacramento Kings, who are 10th. The Mavericks will look to further distance themselves from the Kings when they take on the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome on Friday.
Related: Anthony Davis’ Bold Statement On Why He Made Early Injury Return For Dallas Mavericks