The NBA regular season has reached its twilight, and with that, the Dallas Mavericks entered the American Airlines Center for one final home game. Anthony Davis and Co. were up against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night and put on quite a show for their fans. The win? A dominant 124-102. Now, the Mavs have just one game to play against the Grizzlies before participating in the play-in tournament next week. Their newly acquired star, Anthony Davis, emerged as the cornerstone of the show last night. He had a spectacular game but was stripped of a rare feat after being subbed out. Any guesses as to what it is?

Anthony Davis was the catalyst in this blowout win. He owned the night with a fantastic triple-double (23/13/10). However, the night could’ve been more historic for the Dallas forward, who also had 7 blocks to go with his impressive stat line. He was within touching distance of achieving a quadruple-double for the first time in his NBA career. That would’ve been the icing on the cake, for sure. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be for the 31-year-old. As such, many speculated that head coach Jason Kidd might have asked Davis to rest. But was it?

The Mavs’ HC came clean while speaking to the reporters postgame. “Yeah, well, I always ask. I was hoping he got it there at the end of the third, but he didn’t….He didn’t care either way, but he’s got to make that decision. And so, the way he was playing, it’s hard sometimes to let a triple-double pass, and so I thought it was the right thing for him to go get that,” Kidd stated. According to Kidd, he always asks his players whenever there’s a situation like this—that it’s up to them. When AD came close to a triple-double, the Mavs HC pointed out that it was something hard to pass. So, they agreed to let him get that, and he quickly achieved that. But when it got the quadruple-double, it was Davis’s decision to make.

“And so, but the quad, if he would have had nine blocks, that would have been on him to go get the tenth. But, again, AD is about winning. It’s not about stats. And it’s a great bounce-back game for us, and now we have to get ready for Memphis.” Kidd said. Davis’ only focus was winning ball games—that’s all that matters for the Dallas superstar. While Anthony Davis had a great night, Dallas’s other superstar is still making an impact on the team despite being injured.

Kyrie Irving is still helping the team despite being on the sidelines

While everyone was focused on Anthony Davis and his incredible performance, a young player silently went about his job. Just before tip-off, the Dallas Mavericks finally elevated young guard Brandon Williams’ contract to a standard NBA deal, and he made an instant impact. He finished Friday’s game with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting. With a performance like that, he reminded everyone a bit of his teammate, Kyrie Irving, whose shoes Williams is filling.

It hasn’t been easy for Williams, who has faced a lot of adversities. Injuries halted his progress in college, and then he went undrafted. After bouncing around for a bit, he finally found his footing in Dallas this season. Since Luka Doncic’s trade and an unfortunate injury to Kyrie Irving, Williams has become a staple. Most importantly, he’s learning from the best of the best.

Yes! The 25-year-old is hugely impacted by Irving’s presence and has learned a lot from the veteran superstar. In fact, Jason Kidd also thinks being around Kyrie has massively boosted Williams’s progress. “Yeah, I think being around Ky here has elevated his game. And then also just the work that he’s put in. His patience, understanding what we’re asking him to do. And he stepped in with all the injuries and did a great job. And he earned that contract.” Kidd stated after the win.

Moreover, he praised Kyrie Irving’s leadership: “Yeah, I think he’s taken everyone. He’s a leader for me. He’s a leader on this team. And before the injuries, he helped a lot of guys with their game. And I know a lot of guys would love to do the things that he can do. But you have got to practise. You got to work. You just don’t wake up. Ky just doesn’t wake up and be able to do the things that he does. So I think just the role model he is on and off the floor.” Kidd said. It seems that Irving is a massive presence in the Mavs locker room, and everyone respects the veteran. More importantly, he’s a great role model for youngsters like Brandon Williams. Hopefully, he’ll soon be able to do that while on the court as he recovers from the injury.