Luka, Lakers Spoil Anthony Davis' Revenge Game in Injury Return as Fans Roast Mavs
Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers spoiled Anthony Davis' revenge game with a 129-119 home win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, dropping Dallas to 5-15.
Davis had not played since Oct. 29 due to a calf strain, returning to face his former team at Crypto.com Arena for the first time since the February Doncic trade that swapped the stars.
The Lakers clinched West Group B with their win over the Clippers to advance to the knockout rounds, while Dallas had already been eliminated Tuesday.
Davis finished his comeback with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists. Cooper Flagg added 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting with 11 assists and seven rebounds, and Klay Thompson contributed 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
Doncic led the Lakers with 35 points, 11 assists and five rebounds, while LeBron James added 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Austin Reaves finished with a team-high 38 points as Los Angeles improved to 14-4.
Fans roasted the Mavericks as the Lakers spoiled Davis' return to L.A.
The Lakers held a narrow two-point lead over the Mavericks at halftime, led by 19 points from Reaves, while Doncis added 18 and James finished with two on 1-of-4 shooting. Davis entered the break with six points, while Flagg and Thompson added seven apiece.
The Lakers held off Dallas' second-half comeback attempts to secure a 10-point win.
The Lakers will host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday while the Mavericks continue their road trip against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday in the second night of their back-to-back.
