DALLAS (AP) — Anthony Davis will be sidelined at least two more weeks with the groin injury sustained in his Dallas debut, while the Mavericks said Thursday their star forward is making good progress in his recovery.
Davis was dominant in the first half of his only game with the Mavericks against Houston on Feb. 8, but pulled up lame late in the third quarter of Dallas' 116-105 victory.
The 10-time All-Star had missed his last two games with the Lakers because of an abdominal injury before the seismic trade that sent fellow superstar Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. Davis then sat the first two games he could have played for Dallas before suiting up against the Rockets.
The groin injury only intensified criticism of Dallas general manager Nico Harrison over a trade that infuriated many Mavericks fans.
The Davis injury is the biggest for a severely depleted Dallas frontcourt. The top three centers — Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell — are out with injuries and have no timelines for a return.
Lively, the promising second-year pro who has battled injuries since the Mavs drafted him in the first round in 2023, has a stress fracture in his ankle. The 21-year-old hasn't played since Jan. 14.
Gafford sprained a knee Feb. 10 against Sacramento and could miss several weeks. Powell hasn't played in a month because of a hip injury.
The Mavericks added 7-foot-2 center Moses Brown on a 10-day contract, announcing the deal a day before the return from the All-Star break Friday night at home against New Orleans.
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