The Dallas Mavericks are holding their breath once again. Star big man Anthony Davis exited Wednesday night’s 107–105 win over the Indiana Pacers after suffering what the team called “left lower leg soreness.”
Davis went down awkwardly after a first-quarter basket and was visibly in pain before heading to the locker room.
He did not return to the game, and the Mavericks officially ruled him out at halftime.
The seven-time All-Star was listed as probable entering the contest while dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy, an issue he may have aggravated.
Head coach Jason Kidd confirmed afterward that Davis had attempted to test the leg before being shut down for the night.
“He tried to return — didn’t want to take any chances,” Kidd said, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “We’ll see how he feels moving forward.”
Through the team’s first four games, Davis had averaged 32 minutes per night for Dallas, serving as the defensive anchor and secondary scorer alongside Luka Doncic before the blockbuster trade that brought him in.
The Mavericks are already shorthanded in the frontcourt. Dereck Lively II remains sidelined with a right knee sprain, while Daniel Gafford has yet to debut this season due to a sprained right ankle. Kyrie Irving, recovering from a torn ACL, isn’t expected to return until early 2026.
Despite the setback, Dallas managed to pull off a narrow home win thanks to strong performances from the bench.
Brandon Williams finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, Dwight Powell added 18, and rookie Cooper Flagg recorded 15 points and ten boards.
Injuries have long been part of Davis’ story. Since 2018, he’s played more than 65 games in a season just once, logging 76 appearances in 2023–24. Last year alone, he missed 18 games with an adductor strain, further adding to the string of lower-body setbacks that have followed him throughout his career.
READ MORE: Ja Morant On Why He Never Wanted to Be the ‘Face of the NBA’
