Reaves' 38 Helps Lakers Spoil Anthony Davis, Mavericks

The Lakers spoiled Anthony Davis' return, beating the Mavericks 129-119 in L.A. as Dallas fell to 5-15. Davis, back from a calf strain, finished with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists but couldn’t alter the result. Austin Reaves erupted for 38, while Luka Dončić had 35 and 11 assists in the loss. The win clinched West Group B for Los Angeles, improving them to 14-4. Merlin sees a telling snapshot: this was more than a single night — L.A.’s depth and Reaves’ scoring carried the day, and Davis showed rust common to first games back. Dallas’ slump isn’t Luka’s burden alone; it smells of defensive holes and roster unrest. The Mavericks’ back-to-back road test, starting with the Clippers, will reveal whether this is a hiccup or a deeper slide.