Mavericks battled, but a late Lakers surge, led by Reaves and Doncic, snatched victory despite Davis's return.
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis’ long-awaited return gave the Dallas Mavericks a jolt they badly needed, but the closing minutes again told a familiar story for a team still searching for stability. Despite leading midway through the fourth quarter, the Mavericks fell 129-119 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, dropping them to 5-15 on the season and handing them their fifth loss in six games.
Dallas played with noticeably sharper connectivity after getting Davis back for the first time since Oct. 29. He finished with 13 points, five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes while working under a strict 24–28 minute restriction, showing flashes of the two-way presence Dallas has missed during his 14-game absence.
The Mavericks leaned heavily on balanced scoring — eight players reached double figures — and a productive night from rookie forward Cooper Flagg, who recorded 13 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. P.J. Washington added 22 points, Ryan Nembhard chipped in 17 in his first career start, and Max Christie scored 13 in his return to face his former team.
But even with improved rhythm, Dallas could not withstand the shot-making barrage from Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić in the second half. Reaves finished with 38 points, while Dončić added 35 points and 11 assists for the Lakers, who closed the game on a decisive 13-1 run that erased the Mavs’ late advantage.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said Davis handled the constraints of a limited workload with poise and purpose, emphasizing that reintegrating him into the lineup will take time.
Kidd contextualized Davis' night after the month-long layoff.
“I thought he was good for his first game back,” Kidd said. “Just trying to get the rhythm and try to get the flow of being with those guys on the floor. As we go forward and continue stacking good minutes, he did that.”
Kidd also experimented with his point guard rotation, leaning on Nembhard and Brandon Williams and electing to sit veteran D’Angelo Russell even though he was active.
The Mavericks’ defensive coverages on Dončić and Reaves evolved throughout the night, but Kidd said the Lakers made Dallas pay whenever the rotations were a step late.
“Reaves got going there,” Kidd said. “We tried to give them different looks, and they took advantage of them.”
For Davis, the return marked his first game in Los Angeles as a visiting player since being traded in February, and he acknowledged the challenge of rediscovering pacing while being limited to short bursts.
He spoke candidly about the frustration of trying to regain his footing in brief windows.
“It’s always tough on a minutes restriction,” Davis said. “You want to play, especially in the fourth. Even in the first three quarters, five minutes is definitely a short stint. It was definitely different for the rhythm and for the mental.”
Davis also described the work still ahead as he rebuilds chemistry with a re-shuffled roster — especially with Flagg, with whom he had built early-season momentum before the injury.
“When we started off in training camp, he liked to ask questions and talk about where I like the ball and where he likes the ball,” Davis said. “We’re still trying to figure each other out. We’ll continue to work on those things and get better.”
Flagg, playing his first game alongside Davis in nearly a month, said the veteran’s return gave the team an immediate lift.
He highlighted the steadying effect of having Davis available again.
“It felt great,” Flagg said. “He is a great teammate and a great leader. It felt great to have him back out there.”
Still, Dallas could not overcome the late run sparked by Dončić’s shot creation and Reaves’ perimeter accuracy. The Lakers made 18 of their 34 threes and shot nearly 60 percent overall, an efficiency margin that ultimately outweighed the strides Dallas showed with Davis back in the fold.
The Mavericks will try to regroup quickly as they stay in Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Saturday night, with Davis expected to sit for maintenance before returning Monday in Denver.