Anthony Davis struggled mightily during the Dallas Mavericks’ 132-111 blowout loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as the defending champions held him to only two points on 1-for-9 shooting from the field.
After the home defeat, the one-time NBA champion apologized to the fans for his low-scoring output, even if he added eight rebounds and six assists in his 24-minute shift on Friday.
“I hold myself accountable for the play, but we don’t have time – I don’t have time to dwell on it. We have a 24-hour turnaround, and we play tomorrow. Gotta get prepared for tomorrow,” Davis told Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“We knew the paint would be packed. AD’s ability to score was limited due to that, and his teammates gotta step up. We just didn’t score there. I think we made a lot of the right plays. We just missed shots, or we turned it over. We gotta look at how we can get him better looks, even with the double teams,” head coach Jason Kidd said of Davis.
Dallas Mavericks News: Dereck Lively II without a clear timeline for a return due to foot injury
Injuries continue to haunt the Dallas Mavericks, as they are without Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dante Exum, and Kyrie Irving. Given the severity of Lively’s foot problem, reports indicate that the 21-year-old center is seeking multiple opinions.
“For a 21-year-old, it’s tough. He wants to play. Unfortunately, he can’t play right now. Hopefully, as he goes through this process of finding other opinions of what he should do, it brings resolve & he can get back to playing because we miss him, but he misses playing. Hopefully, there is some conclusion to this & he’s back on the floor for us because we do miss him,” head coach Jason Kidd said of Lively.
Their absences have opened up more minutes for Naji Marshall, Dwight Powell, Caleb Martin, and Moussa Cisse. There’s no rest for the weary, as Dallas will host the Houston Rockets later.
