Knicks Could Avoid Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis' comeback tour may skip the New York Knicks' dwelling of Madison Square Garden.

Per longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, Davis (adductor strain) is expected to return for the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets. While the Mavs (34-37) face a metropolitan doubleheader, as they'll take on the Knicks on Tuesday in Manhattan, Stein reports that Dallas plans to play Davis in only game on this trip to the Empire State.

The situation is perhaps not unlike the one the Knicks face with center Mitchell Robinson: the longest-tenured New Yorker is back on the floor after a season-long absence due to ankle woes but did not partake in Thursday's game in Charlotte, which was the latter portion of a back-to-back.

Davis is perhaps the face of the Mavericks franchise after he arrived in North Texas as the primary yield of the team's controversial trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The trade was finalized on Feb. 1, hours after the Lakers earned a victory over the Knicks at MSG though Davis did not play due to a different ailment.

Despite the almost-universally negative publicity around the deal, Davis dazzled in his lone showing as a Maverick to date, posting a 26-point, 16-rebound double-double with seven assists in a win over the Houston Rockets.

He was forced to leave in the second half due to the adductor strain and has missed the last 18 games, which have seen the medical casualties mount: Kyrie Irving is out for the season due to a torn ACL and other departures include Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Dante Exum, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford.

The Mavericks, having dropped all but two of their last 11, will likely at least somewhat rely on Davis' activities to salvage this season. Entering Monday night play, Dallas is tied with Phoenix for the fourth and final spot in the Western Conference Play-In round but the Suns have the tiebreaker. In addition to both New York sides, this road trip will also descend upon Orlando and Chicago.