Anthony Davis had 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in his Mavericks debut, but left the game late in the third quarter with a lower-body injury as Dallas beat the Houston Rockets 116-105 on Saturday.
Max Christie, who was acquired with Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers a week ago in the trade that sent superstar Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, added 23 points for the Mavericks after playing twice for Dallas on the road this week.
Davis, who had not played since Jan. 28 because of an abdominal strain, assisted on the Mavericks’ first field goal four seconds in, scored six of Dallas’ first 14 points and had a double-double before halftime. He played 31 minutes.
Photo: AFP
Davis said he felt tightness in his groin and quadriceps, and part of the reasoning for not returning was him still recovering from the abdominal strain.
He said the injury is not serious.
Alperen Sengun scored 30 points and Jalen Green 24 for Houston, which has a season-long six-game losing streak. Sengun scored 15 in the third quarter, when the Rockets opened on a 21-4 run and cut a 21-point second-quarter deficit to two.
Photo: AFP
With some Mavericks fans still protesting the controversial trade outside American Airlines Center before tipoff, Davis received huge ovations when he took the court for warmups and was announced in the starting lineup.
Jimmy Butler drew the familiar “oohs” and “aahs” from the Chicago crowd when he cut backdoor for an alley-oop dunk in the opening minute.
He had enough left to take over during Golden State’s decisive run with Stephen Curry on the sideline. If his debut with the Warriors is a sign of things to come, they sure would welcome it.
Butler had 25 points and four assists in his first game since a trade-deadline deal from Miami following a messy split with the Heat, helping the Warriors beat the Bulls 132-111 on Saturday night.
“He’s a lion out there,” coach Steve Kerr said.
It was an emotional night for Butler.
The six-time All-Star’s first game with his new team came exactly one year after the death of his father. He wore “Butler III” on the back of his jersey as a tribute to his dad and would continue to go by that “forever and ever.”
Butler’s first game with the Warriors came in the city where he spent his first six seasons. On top of all that, he had not played since Jan. 2. The Heat suspended him three times last month, and he said he lost his joy for the game.
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