Davis leads Mavs past Rockets 116-105 in Mavs debut but leaves with an injury

NBA

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Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) hangs on the rim after dunking on Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) and center Alperen Sengun (28) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Dallas. LM OTERO — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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DALLAS >> 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 L.A., 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.

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.

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.

LAKERS 124, PACERS 117 >> Austin Reaves scored a career-high 45 points and the streaking Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 124-117 on Saturday without LeBron James or Luka Doncic.

Rui Hachimura scored 24 points for LA on his 27th birthday. The Lakers have won five straight and 11 of 13.

Los Angeles jumped to a 25-point lead in the first half, and Reaves scored 14 points in the fourth quarter while the Lakers held off Indiana, the fourth-place team in the Eastern Conference, even without their two superstars.

James sat with left ankle soreness, while Doncic watched his third straight game from the Lakers’ bench as he nears a return from the strained left calf that has sidelined him since Christmas. James and Doncic sat together and talked throughout the game ahead of their expected joint debut Monday against Utah.

Pascal Siakam scored 23 points and Tyrese Halliburton had 19 for the Pacers, who erased most of their huge deficit before fading in the fourth quarter. Indiana lost for only the fourth time in 17 games.

Reaves nearly didn’t play because of a sore left elbow, but elected to suit up with the Lakers’ two stars sidelined. He scored 14 points in the first quarter and added a flurry of eight points early in the fourth, setting his career high on a steal and a dunk with 7:37 to play amid a standing ovation.