Anthony Davis has faced the LA Clippers numerous times during his tenure with the LA Lakers. However, on Saturday night, it was a fresh experience for Davis, as he went up against the Kawhi Leonard-led Clippers for the first time as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
This was the second consecutive game between the Mavericks and Clippers, with the Clippers winning 114-91 the night before, but Davis did not play. Looking to change the outcome, Davis made an immediate impact with 11 points in the first quarter, although the Clippers took a 33-21 lead after the first period.
The Mavericks didn’t back down easily, despite strong performances from James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac in the first half. The Mavericks closed the gap with a 3-pointer from Max Christie with 1:29 left, making it a six-point game at 54-48.
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However, the Clippers shut down the Mavericks’ momentum and entered halftime with a 61-52 lead, with Harden adding four more points in the final minute to bring his first-half total to 19.
Leonard ended the first half with 18 points, while Zubac was just shy of a double-double, with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Anthony Davis led the Mavericks with 16 points and seven rebounds. Below are his full stats
John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.
He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.
A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.
He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.
