LOS ANGELES (AP) \u2014 Anthony Davis returned to Los Angeles on the same night he came back from a 14-game injury absence, and he received loud pregame cheers from Lakers fans who were thrilled to see a longtime favorite healthy and hooping.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fans, obviously they\u2019re great,\u201d Davis said. \u201cTheir reaction, even my first time (back) here when I didn\u2019t play (last February), they really welcomed me back to LA.\u201d<\/p>\n
The star big man\u2019s first road game against the Lakers since being traded for Luka Doncic<\/a> 10 months ago still ended with another loss<\/a> for his struggling Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.<\/p>\n But Davis didn\u2019t seem discouraged after putting up 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots \u2014 including a swat of LeBron James \u2014 while playing on a minutes restriction.<\/p>\n We\u2019re still playing fun basketball,\u201d Davis said. \u201cWe\u2019re competing. We\u2019re playing for each other, playing together. … We\u2019re going to keep playing, keep fighting. We have the right attitude, and I feel like we\u2019re right there.\u201d<\/p>\n The 32-year-old Davis hadn\u2019t played since Oct. 29 due to a left calf strain. His game against the Lakers was his 15th appearance out of a possible 54 for the Mavs since the trade.<\/p>\n He played 28 minutes against the Lakers, and coach Jason Kidd said Davis won\u2019t play Saturday against the Clippers as the Mavs attempt to keep Davis healthy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re talking about one of the best players in the world,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cThe chemistry when you get him back on the floor, it\u2019s going to take a little time. For tonight, I just (wanted) a positive experience, positive minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n After the game, Davis exchanged jerseys with old friend and teammate Austin Reaves, who scored 38 points for the Lakers.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, he\u2019s one of the best players to ever touch a basketball, so I don\u2019t know why he wanted my jersey,\u201d Reaves said. \u201cBut for me to get his, it\u2019s pretty fun. I\u2019ve got a lot of love for AD. He\u2019s a big reason that I\u2019m where I\u2019m at right now. From Day 1, he was telling me to be myself, don\u2019t be anybody else and continue to work. I owe him a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n Davis will always have a special place in Lakers fans\u2019 hearts after he teamed up with James to lead their franchise to its 17th title in October 2020 during the first of his 5 1\/2 mostly successful seasons in purple and gold.<\/p>\n But since the trade, the Lakers have thrived \u2014 while the Mavericks have largely fallen apart, even after winning the draft lottery and getting Cooper Flagg.<\/p>\n Dallas (5-15) is 14th in the Western Conference standings after going 3-11 in Davis\u2019 absence. General manager Nico Harrison, the orchestrator of the much-criticized trade, was fired Nov. 11<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you know in this league, the train keeps moving,\u201d Kidd said. \u201cNo matter of a trade or a dismissal, you\u2019ve got to keep moving. For AD, it was to focus on his body, come back healthy so he\u2019s ready to go, get him in the lineup and get him some minutes. … As we go forward, we feel like we have a chance to win when he\u2019s in uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n