On Friday night, the Dallas Mavericks played the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, losing by a score of 129-119. This contest was packed with emotions, as it was a revenge game for both Anthony Davis and Luka Dončić after last year’s shocking blockbuster trade.
This was just the sixth game that Davis appeared in this season, as he’d been sidelined with a calf strain recently. However, Davis made it clear that this game meant a lot to him and he wanted to return from injury to face his former team, and he had a solid outing in his first game back.
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NBA Fans React To Anthony Davis’ Performance Against Lakers
Davis finished the game with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three blocks while shooting 6-10 from the field in 27 minutes of playing time.
Meanwhile, Dončić tallied 35 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, one block, and four 3-pointers, while shooting 10-18 from the field and 4-9 from long range in the Lakers’ win.
After the game, NBA fans had a mixed reaction to Davis’ return to Los Angeles. Some enjoyed the love that Davis got from Lakers fans and his former teammates, while praising the big man’s play.
@LakeShowYo: “Lakers fans give Anthony Davis a standing ovation in his return home 💜💛”
@__HEjunior: “Anthony Davis still probably the best 2 way player in the league. Defense is incredible.”
@erik_estrada41: “So happy to see Anthony Davis play basketball again”
@mgnlakers: “HAHAHAHAH Anthony Davis blocking LeBron, I’m not mad about it tbh”
Anthony Davis warms up for his return to Los Angeles in the LeBron 22: pic.twitter.com/4pGIR8MNTa
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) November 29, 2025
However, others were more critical of Davis’ outing against his former team.
@C2Real_: “Anthony Davis don’t even want the ball..”
@vancity9191: “Anthony Davis proving why Lakers traded him 🗑️”
@23RyanP: “I’m watching Anthony Davis be a screener and 5th option in a kyrieless mavs team”
@xzxzxzxzxxxxa: “Someone file a missing report for Anthony Davis”
Anthony Davis snags the board and throws down a powerful putback 💪
📲 Watch games LIVE and on-demand with NBA League Pass 👉 https://t.co/WlO7mD5jom#NBAHighlights pic.twitter.com/1P1E5C3BjO
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) November 29, 2025
This season, Davis is averaging 19.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks, while shooting 52.9% from the field. The Mavericks are 2-4 in the six games that Davis has played, and they are 5-15 on the season.
“Just being with those guys on the floor, I thought he was good on both ends,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “As we go forward, continuing to stack good minutes, and he did that.”
“For AD the focus was on his body [to] come back healthy… Can’t get everything solved in 24 minutes tonight but as we go forward, we feel like we have a chance to win when he’s in uniform,” Kidd added.
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When Davis is on the court, Dallas’ offensive rating is 107.2 compared to 105.1 when he’s off the court (+2.1 differential). Surprisingly, the Mavericks’ defensive rating is actually better when Davis is off the court (110.1) compared to when he’s on the court (114.9), which is why he has a -2.7 net rating. However, as he gets healthier and the sample size is larger, this will likely improve.
With this latest loss — their third straight — the Mavs dropped to the 14th seed in the Western Conference. The Mavericks boast the NBA’s third-best defense, allowing just 108.2 points per 100 possessions (behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat). However, Dallas also ranks dead last in the NBA in offensive efficiency, scoring 103.8 points per 100 possessions.
This season clearly hasn’t gone according to plan for Dallas, which is in part why the team recently fired general manager Nico Harrison, who was responsible for the controversial acquisition of Davis.
Given Dallas’ struggles and the fact that Harrison is no longer calling the shots, there have been plenty of rumors that the Mavericks may opt to trade Davis prior to the February deadline.
Davis is 32 years old, so Dallas may try to move him for younger players and draft picks that better align with 18-year-old Cooper Flagg’s timeline.
Next up, the Mavs will face off against James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. As for the Lakers, they improved to 14-4 in 18 games, and they are currently the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers have now won six straight games and are looking dominant with Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
