Anthony Davis might make his Mavericks debut on Thursday when Dallas plays the Boston Celtics in their final matchup of the season series.
The Mavericks have lost both games since trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a package that included Davis, who has been recovering from an abdominal muscle strain he suffered on January 28.
“I’ll go through a workout today, see how I feel, and depending on that, get another one in (Wednesday),” Davis said on Tuesday. “And then depending on that, see how I feel. If not Thursday, then more than likely Saturday at home (against the Houston Rockets).”
Davis has averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 42 games this season, all as a starter.
Max Christie, who also came to Dallas in the Doncic trade, played in Tuesday’s 118-116 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and scored 15 points in 32 minutes.
“I was just playing hard, to be honest, and reacting to what was going on,” Christie said. “The (team) concepts are kind of foreign to me, so I’m just playing off reaction. It helped that I was making my threes, too.”
Dallas will be aiming to snap a three-game losing streak on Thursday. The Celtics defeated the Mavericks 122-107 on January 25, the first meeting between the two teams since their 2024 NBA Finals matchup.
Quentin Grimes scored 20 points off the bench in the first game against Boston but was traded to Philadelphia for forward Caleb Martin on Tuesday. Martin is averaging 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds this season.
The Celtics come off one of their best defensive performances of the season, extending their winning streak to four games with a 112-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
Boston recorded 10 steals and six blocked shots in the victory, holding the Cavaliers to a season-low-tying field-goal percentage of 39.6%.
“It was a battle at both ends,” said Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis. “Their defense was there, and we had to bring ours. It was a physical battle. We had just enough to edge them.”
Boston limited Cleveland, the Eastern Conference leaders, to 15 points in the first quarter.
“I thought we did a good job just taking away some of the margins, some of the easy baskets that they’re able to create because of the type of players that they have and the type of offense that they run,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.
Before the NBA All-Star Weekend begins on February 14, Boston will play road games against the New York Knicks and Miami Heat, along with a home game against the San Antonio Spurs. The Celtics’ current four-game win streak is their longest since a seven-game streak in November.
“I’m very happy we have four wins in a row now because it’s a tough, tough stretch right before the All-Star break,” Porzingis said. “It’s important for us to finish strong going into the All-Star break, get some rest, then have that really good home stretch of the regular season to peak at the right moment.”
