The Dallas Mavericks took down the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night despite forward Anthony Davis leaving the game early due to a sore Achilles.
Davis managed to play in just seven minutes on Wednesday before leaving the game early, leaving Cooper Flagg as the team’s main playmaker in the 107-105 win over the Pacers.
Dallas also received significant contributions from forward Dwight Powell and guards D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Williams, who combined to finish with 52 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists off the bench.
Davis is currently listed on the Mavericks’ injury report as probable for the team’s next matchup due to bilateral Achilles tendinopathy, per ESPN.
The Mavericks will likely be careful with this injury following the seemingly substantial increase in the number of Achilles injuries that have occurred in recent years.
Just last season, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers center James Wiseman, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard, and New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray each suffered a torn Achilles tendon during games.
While Davis may be seen as an unlikely candidate to suffer a severe Achilles injury, the Mavericks could consider providing him with extra time to heal before returning to the court for a game.
Luckily, Mavericks Head Coach Jason said Davis “tried to return” to the game, but the team “didn’t want to take any chances,” indicating that the soreness is not a major point of concern moving forward, per Noah Weber.
Davis’ eventual return could be incredibly important for a Mavericks team that has gotten off to a slow start to begin the season, currently boasting a record of just 2-3 with multiple disappointing losses.
In addition to the injury suffered by Davis, the Mavericks are also dealing with injuries to center Dereck Lively, who is listed as day-to-day, and center Daniel Gafford, for whom a return timeline is not currently available.
Dallas could be without all three players when the Mavericks take on the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, followed by a matchup with the Houston Rockets early next week.
Although the Mavericks could likely win these games without Davis, Lively, or Gafford, losing all three players greatly reduces the size advantage for this team, which was expected to be a strength for this roster throughout the entire regular season.