Copyright Newsweek
The Dallas Mavericks fly to Mexico City for a Saturday night test against the Detroit Pistons with uncertainty surrounding arguably their biggest star, Anthony Davis. Davis arrived in Dallas in the blockbuster mid-season trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 2, 2025. Dallas received Davis (and pieces including Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick), while the Lakers acquired Doncic alongside veterans Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in one of the biggest trades in NBA history. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, it appears that Davis is expected to be ruled out of Saturday's contest versus the Pistons after leaving Wednesday's game with lower-leg soreness, according to reporting from Marc Stein. Read More: Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg Makes NBA History in Win Over Raptors Davis has been the Mavs' best player through the first five games of the 2025-26 regular season, leading the team in points (20.8), rebounds (10.2), and steals (1.6) per game, while averaging 1.2 blocks and shooting 52% from the field. As rookie sensation Cooper Flagg comes into his own and All-Star Kyrie Irving recovers from his torn ACL suffered in March, Davis has been a steady force, leading Dallas to a 2-3 record entering Saturday. This includes wins over the Toronto Raptors (won 139-129) and Indiana Pacers (won 107-105), paired with narrow losses to the Washington Wizards (lost 117-107) and Oklahoma City Thunder (lost 101-94). Davis' recent injury was suffered in the Pacers game on Wednesday, when he left late in the first quarter with left lower-leg soreness and did not return. He had been listed as probable earlier in the week with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy, then was cleared to play pregame before exiting. Read More: End of an Era Confirmed with NBA’s New Los Angeles Lakers Update The Pistons enter Saturday's contest against the Mavs at 3-2 following a narrow 115-111 loss to the Chicago Bulls. 2021 first overall pick Cade Cunningham has been central to Detroit’s form, leading the Pistons in points (22.2) and assists (8.2) per game, while averaging 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 35.2 minutes per game. (recently 30 points and 10 assists in a win over Orlando). The matchup will test Dallas’ interior depth if Davis is absent If Davis is unavailable, Detroit’s frontcourt (Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris) and Cunningham’s playmaking become even tougher matchup problems for Dallas, which could be forced to lean heavier on Flagg, D’Angelo Russell, and role scorers like P.J. Washington and Klay Thompson. Tip-off is set for 10:00 p.m. ET at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, with coverage on Peacock.
