Anthony Davis Development Emerges After Win Against Nuggets

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Dec 2, 2025 7:10 AM ET

Anthony Davis returned to the lineup for the Dallas Mavericks on Monday as they faced off against the Denver Nuggets. After missing 14 straight games due to a calf injury, Davis sat out again on Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers for rest purposes. The 10-time All-Star played on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Mavs did not want to play him in a back-to-back set.

Davis made up for lost time on Monday, though, outdueling three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic in a battle of the bigs. Davis went off for a season-high 32 points on 13-of-23 shooting, to go along with 13 rebounds, four assists, a steal, two blocks and two triples in 32 minutes of play.

Thanks in large part to Davis’ performance, the Mavs were able to pull off an impressive 131-121 upset win over the Nuggets.

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) had an impressive game against the Nuggets.Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Davis has missed significant time for Dallas this season. Monday’s outing was just his seventh game of the season, but he made sure to remind the rest of the league what they’ve been missing amid his latest injury layoff.

Davis, who joined the Mavs via a blockbuster trade from the Lakers last season, made history against the Nuggets on Monday. According to MavsMuse, Davis is the fastest player in Mavericks franchise history to amass 300 points and 150 rebounds. The former No. 1 overall pick achieved this milestone in his 16th game for Dallas.

More importantly, Davis led his team to victory. Monday’s win was one of the best performances of the season for the Mavs as they marked their second straight victory to improve to 7-15 on the season.

Davis and Co. will want to keep it going in their next game, a home matchup against the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Tip-off from American Airlines Center will be at 8:30 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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