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Anthony Davis Joins Luka Doncic With Unfortunate NBA History

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Apr 19, 2025 10:21 PM ET

Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks entered Friday night with history in their sights, aiming to become the first Western Conference 10th seed to secure a playoff berth since the NBA introduced the play-in format. Fresh off a win over the Sacramento Kings, the Mavericks traveled to FedEx Forum with momentum on their side and hopes of extending their season.

Instead, their playoff dreams came to an abrupt end as the Memphis Grizzlies cruised to a 120-106 victory, eliminating Dallas and capping off what has been a turbulent season for the franchise.

Despite the loss, Davis delivered a stellar performance, finishing with 40 points and nine rebounds.

Klay Thompson (18 points), Brandon Williams (16), Naji Marshall (13), and Max Christie (11) were the only other Mavericks to reach double figures in scoring, as the team struggled to keep pace with Memphis' balanced attack.

In a twist of cruel irony, Davis made unwanted history in the process—becoming just the second player since the NBA-ABA merger to score 40+ points in a winner-take-all play-in or playoff game and still lose by double digits. The only other player to do so? Luka Doncic—the very star Dallas traded for Davis—who dropped 46 points in a Game 7 loss to the Clippers during the 2021 playoffs.

Anthony Davis is the second player since the NBA-ABA merger to score 40+ points in a winner-take-all play-in or playoff game only to see his team lose by double digits.

The other was the man he was traded for, Luka Dončić (Game 7 of the first round in 2021). pic.twitter.com/39fDN7y0eA
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) April 19, 2025

Davis, acquired on February 2, made an immediate impact with a historic debut, but a groin injury in that very game sidelined him for weeks. During his absence, Dallas began to slip in the standings. The team's playoff push took a further hit when Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending ACL injury, leaving Davis to carry the load down the stretch.

The Mavericks will now turn their attention to the offseason, hoping to regroup and build a healthier, more consistent roster for the 2025–26 campaign.

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

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