Tonight, one of the most hyped regular-season games is about to go down. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was this fired up for a mid-season matchup. Maybe Klay Thompson’s San Francisco homecoming as a Mav had a similar kind of buzz. And weirdly enough, the Dallas Mavericks are right in the middle of the chaos—again.

First, they shattered the hearts of Warriors fans. Now? They’ve managed to break their own.

Because tonight, Luka Doncic faces the Mavs for the first time as a Lakers guard. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis—who was shockingly shipped to Dallas in that blockbuster trade—gets his first shot at the Lakers as a Maverick. Luka’s already back in action after recovering from his calf strain—now all eyes are on AD.

The 6’10 big man has gone through a lot of physical and emotional turmoil in the last few days. On Feb 8, The Brow laced up for the Dallas side for the first time and went off to a flying start, dropping 26 points and 16 rebounds. It didn’t last long as he exited the floor in the third quarter with an abductor strain. The team later announced that he was progressing well and would evaluate him in two weeks. Since then, the team has produced a 3-2 record, all thanks to Kyrie Irving.

With February winding down and this highly anticipated showdown on deck, the big question remains—will Anthony Davis suit up tonight? Unfortunately, the answer is a no. NBA reporter Grant Afseth confirmed AD’s absence while responding to a fan’s question. But that’s not all—he also dropped a fresh update: the Mavericks will re-evaluate Davis on March 6th. So for now, Mavs fans will have to keep waiting.

So, it’s not just tonight—Anthony Davis is out with no clear timeline for his return. That’s the real concern here.

At this point, all the Mavs can do is hope their star big man avoids surgery and makes it back before the postseason. Because let’s be real—Dallas is going to need him when the games really start to matter.

Anthony Davis vs the Lakers: Starting Lineup and Depth Chart

Tonight, the Mavs will go with a small lineup, as the team ruled out four of their big men, including PJ Washington. Kyrie Irving, who has carried the team so far in the absence of Luka and AD, will continue to do so until he finds help. Hopefully, the team will receive the necessary support from Klay Thompson and Max Christie.

The Dallas Mavericks

The Los Angeles Lakers

Meanwhile, the Lakers are riding high on confidence heading into this matchup. Even with LeBron James listed as doubtful, they still have the edge—especially with Luka Magic back in full force.

The real question is, will Luka go off against his former team and put on a show? Drop your predictions in the comments below.