Tonight’s nationally televised game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder was a blowout victory for the home team, a result we’ve come to expect from the defending champions. However, one player stood out for the visitors, and not for a good reason: Anthony Davis had a massive cold stretch, missing all of his shots in the first three quarters.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the worst part of the night for the forward. Midway through the third quarter, Davis collided knee-to-knee with Thunder center Chet Holmgren while trying to defend his drive. He immediately fell to the floor as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit an open three, grabbing his left leg in pain, and immediately subbing out.

Afterward, he was spotted on the sideline with his left knee wrapped heavily, but did manage to check in during the fourth to score his only bucket of the game. Later, he was asked by reporters about his condition.

Reporters who asked him about his left leg were told that it was “fine,” and that he expected to play against the Houston Rockets tomorrow, on the second night of a back-to-back. Davis also commented on his performance tonight.

“I hold myself accountable for the play,” he said. “I don’t have time to dwell on it. We have a 24-hour turnaround and we play tomorrow. Gotta get prepared for tomorrow.”

The forward had a tough night, and his shots didn’t fall. Davis finished the game with two points, missing eight of his nine attempts, but still contributed with eight rebounds and six assists.

There’s a clear reason for this; fans who have been following his status will know that the forward injured his finger, and that carries a warning.

Back against the Denver Nuggets, when he jammed his fingers, he told reporters afterward that it was “fine” and that his finger was “intact.”

Fast forward to the post-game press conference after the team’s next game against the Miami Heat, Davis explained that his finger was “bothering” him and that it was “really swollen.”

If the leg injury takes a similar turn, it might spiral into an even more slowed version of the usually-efficient star, and could make Dallas’ season even worse.

Oklahoma City Thunder Rout Raises Bigger Questions for Anthony Davis and Dallas Mavericks

Tonight was a test of the Dallas Mavericks‘ momentum. The team had logged three straight wins, but against the defending champions, the Mavericks’ cracks were exposed.

The Thunder dominated at home with pace, execution, and physicality, ultimately securing a 132-111 win in a game that never felt competitive after halftime, especially with Anthony Davis struggling throughout.

Gilgeous-Alexander was brilliant tonight, logging 33 points on 10-12 shooting, but the story for the Mavericks was their complete inability to fight back once the Thunder got going.

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OKC scored on 10 straight possessions to close the first half, turning a competitive game into a 15-point lead, and then started the third with a 23-7 avalanche that ballooned their lead to over 30. Dallas briefly went on an 11-0 run, but it was too little, too late.

Davis was suffocated by Jaylin Williams and Chet Holmgren, and the Thunder’s paint defense held the Mavs at large to just 38 paint points despite having two of the top 50 paint scorers in the league this year in Davis (10.2 per game) and Cooper Flagg (9.9).

Now, without Davis anchoring both ends, Dallas is wildly vulnerable, and, with the Rockets facing them tomorrow, only time will tell how healthy Anthony Davis can be.