Anthony Davis is expected to play tonight when the Mavericks face Brooklyn on the road, Marc Stein tweets.
Davis has missed 18 games since he suffered a left adductor strain in his Dallas debut on Feb. 8. Assuming Davis plays, he will sit out the second game of a back-to-back when the Mavericks face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
Davis made a splashy debut with the Mavericks, racking up 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes before the injury occurred. Davis has been ramping up in recent weeks, including practices with the Texas Legends in the G League.
Davis’ return will provide a big boost to Dallas, which has been ravaged by injuries, including Kyrie Irving‘s season-ending torn ACL. The Mavericks are still very much in the running for a play-in berth — they’re currently tied with the Suns for 10th place in the standings at 34-37. The ninth-place Kings, who are 35-35, are also within reach of the Mavs.
Dallas has gone 6-12 without the perennial All-Star big man. Davis is averaging 25.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks over 43 games this season. He was, of course, the centerpiece for Dallas in the controversial Luka Doncic blockbuster with the Lakers.