Mavs Exit in Play-In, Hold Heads High After 'Tumultuous' Season
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Anthony Davis slowly hobbled toward the Dallas Mavericks' bench during a timeout with just over five minutes remaining Friday night, draping a towel over his head. The fight was over — for him, and for the Mavericks.
After taking a knee to the calf from Grizzlies center Zach Edey earlier in the fourth quarter, the already sore Davis finally conceded. He wouldn’t return, and neither would Dallas — their season ended with a 120-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the final Western Conference play-in game.
“I just wanted to leave it all out there, no matter what,” Davis said after scoring 40 points, his highest total in a Mavericks uniform. But even his heroic effort wasn’t enough to rescue a season that had unraveled well before Friday night.
The Mavericks found themselves in a 25-point hole by halftime and never fully recovered. It marked a frustrating finish to a chaotic season — one Klay Thompson bluntly described as “tumultuous.”
A Season of Turmoil and Transition
Last year’s Finals run felt like a distant memory after Dallas was rocked by general manager Nico Harrison’s blockbuster trade that sent franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić to the Lakers, bringing Davis to town. Injuries quickly compounded the turmoil. Davis missed six weeks with a strained adductor suffered in his Dallas debut, and Kyrie Irving was sidelined for the season in March with a torn ACL.
“We persevered,” said Thompson, who contributed 18 points in the loss. “There were times we were down to eight or nine guys, and we kept going. It sucks, but I’m proud of this group. Everyone showed up and did their best.”
Head coach Jason Kidd echoed that sentiment, calling the Mavs’ 39-43 campaign “an incredible season,” given the upheaval and misfortune.
“With all the change and injuries, just to be in this game tonight says a lot about the guys in that locker room,” Kidd said. “Some people didn’t think we’d be here.”
Davis Steps Into the Fire
Davis knew the road would be bumpy when he arrived in Dallas. Fan backlash over losing Dončić was loud and constant, especially when Luka returned on April 9 and dropped 45 points in a Lakers win at American Airlines Center.
“Obviously, a lot of emotions that weren’t really directed at me,” Davis said. “They loved Luka here, and rightfully so. I just tried to do everything I could to help us win and compete.”
Despite suggestions from within the organization to shut it down after Irving’s injury derailed their playoff hopes, Davis returned and played the final three months of the season.
“I felt like I owed it to the fans, my teammates, and myself,” he said. “If I could play, I wanted to be out there.”
Klay’s Gamble and Unfinished Business
Thompson, who signed with Dallas last summer after 13 seasons and four championships with Golden State, had believed teaming up with Dončić gave him the best shot at another title. When asked whether he’d make the same decision again, knowing what followed, Thompson shook his head with a strained smile.
“Don’t do this to me,” he said. “I don’t own a time machine. I’m here now, and I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
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