How Many Minutes Will Dallas Mavericks Star Anthony Davis Play On Restriction Against Los Angeles Lakers?
Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis is expected to return Friday night against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing the past month with a calf strain, and the 10-time All-Star will do so on a 24-to-27-minute restriction as he ramps back into game action.
Davis has appeared in just five games this season, averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, and the Mavericks have struggled without him, posting a 3–11 record during his absence. Overall, Dallas sits at 5–14 entering Friday’s matchup — second-worst in the Western Conference — highlighting how much the team has missed his presence on both ends of the floor.
The game marks Davis’ first appearance in Los Angeles since the February trade that sent him to Dallas in exchange for Luka Dončić. Davis has not played since Oct. 29, when he suffered the injury against the Indiana Pacers. Though he originally targeted Nov. 8 as a return date, Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont and health and performance director Johann Bilsborough postponed his comeback until medical testing indicated he was past the immediate re-injury window.
After completing his first full practice in nearly a month on Wednesday, Davis acknowledged which matchup he is pushing to play in as long as the medical staff signs off.
“You know what game I want to play,” he said, referring to Friday’s meeting with his former team. “But we’ll see.”
Dallas plans to hold him out Saturday against the LA Clippers and revisit his status for Monday’s game in Denver.
Minutes Will Be Managed as Dallas Mavericks Reintegrates Their Star
Davis’ return lands in the middle of a period of organizational change for the Mavericks, arriving just over two weeks after the firing of general manager Nico Harrison. With league observers expecting Dallas to field trade inquiries on Davis before the early-February deadline, he was asked Wednesday how he handles hearing his name circulate again.
“Man, don’t make it like we going to war or something,” Davis said. “This is basketball and this comes with it. Everybody in their career has been involved in trade talks or been traded. That doesn’t affect me. I’ve been in trades and talks for a while. My job is to do what I do when I’m on the floor — play basketball, try to lead this team — and whatever comes out of that comes out of that. I don’t have any control over that. But I do have an open line of communication with the front office. I’m just ready to get back on the floor.
Kidd echoed that view, saying Davis carried himself with clarity and professionalism during Wednesday’s session. Kidd also underlined how clearly Davis’ absence has been felt.
“First practice with the group, he did a really good job,” Kidd said. “Rebounding, scoring, and his leadership — those are three big areas that we need, especially with a lot of these games being close.”
Davis later described the difficulty of being itching to return while the medical team urged patience. When asked about the process, he spoke openly about the tension between urgency and responsibility.
“It’s always frustrating when you’re sitting out,” he said. “Our job is to play games, and I want to play. But I’m listening to the medical staff and front office and trying to be smart with the situation. It is what it is.”
He added that this calf strain was less severe than the one he experienced in 2022.
“I don’t think this one was as severe as the one in 2022,” he said.
Dallas Mavericks Count on Anthony Davis to Help Close Tight Games
The Mavericks’ struggles in close games have been a defining issue during Davis’ absence; the team is 4–11 in clutch situations, frequently fading late as opposing offenses target mismatches and force Dallas into rushed possessions. Davis, who thrives in late-clock defensive coverages and half-court creation, said watching those sequences from the sideline has been difficult.
Reflecting on the team’s late-game execution, he said he feels those minutes are where he typically makes his biggest impact.
“Very difficult,” Davis said. “We’re right there — we’re in every game. For me, those moments are where I close games and help us on both ends of the floor.”
Kidd added that Davis’ return changes their rotations and stabilizes the locker room, especially with Dereck Lively II ruled out for the road trip.
Joe Judge would 'likely' become Ole Miss interim coach for CFP if Lane Kiffin leaves
Prior to his time in New York, Judge, 43, spent eight seasons on the Patriots’ coaching staff under Bill Belichick before eventually returning to New England after his firing from the Giants.
Before the 2024 college football season, Judge joined the Ole Miss coaching staff as a senior analyst, working closely with Jaxson Dart during his stellar senior campaign with the Rebels.
In 2025, Judge was named the quarterbacks coach for the Rebels and has oversaw the blossoming of Division II transfer Trinidad Chambliss as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback.
Through 11 games for Ole Miss this season, Chambliss, 23, has racked up 2,657 passing yards with 14 touchdowns, helping lead the Rebels to a 10-1 record.
Chambliss has shown his admiration for Judge, calling him a “second father figure” for his guidance throughout the season.
“Really a genuine guy, just a great coach as well,” Chambliss told reporters last week. “He’s always just so attentive to everything, every detail and he helps us out as quarterbacks. He’s always one step ahead of us too. If one play goes a different way than we think then he’s already on it.
“He just does a great job having our mindsets ready for whatever could happen because in football anything can happen. I’m glad that I met a guy like him because he’s really done a great job influencing me and just bettering me as a human being.”
