Is Anthony Davis playing tonight against LA Clippers? Latest injury update on Mavericks superstar (Apr. 5)

Jason Kidd will be sweating over Anthony Davis's fitness when the Dallas Mavericks take on the LA Clippers on Saturday, the second night of their back-to-back. Davis missed yesterday's game due to an adductor issue, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll recover in time for the rematch.

Davis has been a shining light for the Mavs during an otherwise dismal season. They have been storming up for a play-in push lately, going 5-5 in their last 10 games. They started the run after Anthony Davis returned from a brief injury absence.

Suddenly, there seems to be a reason to be optimistic about the Mavericks, even as they cling to the ninth play-in spot with a 38-40 record. That optimism could go flying out the window, depending on how they perform in the remaining four games. Still, at least cautious optimism feels better than the dread that once surrounded Dallas games after the Luka Doncic trade.

In the absence of Anthony Davis, the Mavs were utterly outplayed. They trailed by double digits less than nine minutes into the game and never got a chance to close the gap to within three possessions again. They eventually lost 114-91, with Naji Marshall leading the way with 22 points. Spencer Dinwiddie added 18, and Jaden Hardy chipped in 16.

At this point, the Mavs’s only hope might be to win all their remaining games, and Anthony Davis’ presence would be crucial as the 10th-seeded Sacramento Kings and 11th-seeded Phoenix Suns are nipping at their heels. The Kings are just one game behind them, while the Suns trail by three games.

While Davis’s potential return is the big story, the status of Klay Thompson and Dereck Lively II also remains a question mark. Thompson didn’t return in the second half of the game against the Clippers due to an illness and Lively missed the game due to a knee injury. The status of both players remains legitimately up in the air.

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Anthony Davis stats vs. LA Clippers

AD averages 23.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg, and 2.4 apg in 35 games. He holds a 12-23 record against the Clippers from his Lakers and Pelicans days. His highest outing against the Clippers came during his time with New Orleans when he dropped 46 points in a 121-117 win in 2019.

If Anthony Davis plays on Saturday, it will be his first game against the Western Conference rivals in a Mavericks uniform.