There were 67 days, 30 missed games and five missed shots for Anthony Davis before he could finally officially stamp his return from injury with a bucket Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks.
After the Los Angeles Lakers star’s 19-foot step-back jump shot fell through the net with 4 minutes, 51 seconds remaining in the first quarter to put L.A. up by one, Davis furrowed his brow and shook his head as if to say, “About time.”
Davis, playing for the first time since Feb. 14 after needing nearly nine weeks to recover from a calf strain and Achilles tendinosis in his right leg, started for the visiting Lakers and was finished by halftime of L.A.’s 115-110 loss.
“I didn’t think about it one time tonight,” Davis said of his injury afterward. “Honestly, I just went out there and played. I think it can limit what you do if you’re out there thinking about your injury, so I just went out and played and not think about it. Just go out there and have fun and be excited to be back on the floor. That was my main thing. I was just excited to be back on the floor with the guys, so I never thought about it. I never did a limit to any moves. Wasn’t hesitant with anything, so that was a good sign for me.”
