Jason Kidd adds insult to injury after Anthony Davis mistake in Mavs loss

Anthony Davis’ time with the Dallas Mavericks has, on the whole, not gone well since he moved to Texas in the blockbuster exchange that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Thursday night against the Utah Jazz, the 32-year-old experienced a new low, sustaining yet another injury before being openly criticized by head coach Jason Kidd following the Mavs’ narrow 116-114 loss.

Injury strikes Davis at critical moment

With the teams tied at 107-107 deep into the fourth quarter, Davis hurt his left hand after a seemingly innocuous coming together with Lauri Markkanen on a drive to the basket. The Dallas center initially attempted to play on but was unable to do so, eventually heading to the locker room while visibly in pain.

The sequence proved costly, and Kidd made it clear afterward that he believed Davis’ decision to continue through the injury directly impacted the outcome.

Kidd does not hold back

“The smart play is just to take the foul,” the Mavs coach told reporters. “That’s what we should’ve done. He felt like he was fine. We come back down. We didn’t take the foul. Markkanen gets a layup, and then we have to take a timeout.

“That’s just the play. We’ll learn from it,” Kidd continued. “We take the foul, side out, and we can sub. That’s the play. Now, do I trust my players? I trust my guys. As a coach, they said he was fine. I thought he was fine.”

Anthony Davis injury update: How long will Mavs star be out for?

Davis has already missed 18 games this season and may now be facing another short spell on the sidelines. No update on his status had been issued, though one is expected Friday, with the Mavericks back in action Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.

Davis’ uncertain future in Dallas

Despite joining Dallas less than a year ago, Davis is reportedly exploring a potential exit. He is said to believe the Mavericks are unwilling to extend his contract, even though the organization would like to see him line up alongside top prospect Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.

Irving, who is currently injured, is rumored to be targeting a return to the court in March, though Davis’ own availability remains the more immediate concern.

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