Mavs' Anthony Davis Says 1st Matchup vs. LeBron, Luka, Lakers Is 'Just Another Game'

Anthony Davis isn't feeling any added pressure ahead of Luka Dončić's return to American Airlines Center as a visiting player Wednesday when the Dallas Mavericks host the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Davis called the matchup against his former team "just another game" that everyone else is making out to be a bigger deal than it is to him.

As soon as the Dončić-Davis trade happened on Feb. 2, all eyes turned to the first time the Lakers visited Dallas. These two teams have already played in Los Angeles since the deal, on Feb. 25.

The Lakers, who won that matchup 107-99, honored Davis with a pregame tribute video celebrating his six years with the organization that included a championship in the 2019-20 season.

There's going to be a different vibe in Dallas for Dončić's return. His trade was a case of the organization that drafted him and watched him become a superstar say it doesn't believe he's going to be able to sustain that performance as he ages due to its concerns about his discipline related to his physical conditioning.

The backlash against the Mavs front office and ownership in the wake of the trade was unlike anything that has happened in recent memory.

Dončić is almost certain to be treated like a returning hero by Mavericks fans on Wednesday.

Adding more potential insult for the Mavericks organization, Dončić and the Lakers could clinch the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference on Wednesday night. Their magic number is at two going into Tuesday's matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Davis' assessment that this is just another game for him is accurate. He is just trying to help the Mavericks in their quest to secure a spot in the play-in tournament.

For every fan who will be in that building and Dončić, who spent seven years as the face of basketball in Dallas, Wednesday night is going to be one of the most unique atmospheres in NBA history where a visiting player might get a standing ovation every single time he touches the ball.