The Dallas Mavericks are set to take on the Houston Rockets next. Sitting on the final play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference, the Mavs would like to bypass it altogether by moving up the ranks and securing a playoff spot. But to do so, they will need to get past the Rockets first. Tough ask but it’s doable. After all, they’ve now got Anthony Davis on their roster. 

Sadly, Davis injured himself as a Laker and he’s been recovering ever since. But Mavs fans may have some good news to look forward to when it comes to the former NBA champion. But we’ll only find out by looking at the injury report submitted by the Mavs. 

Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets Injury Report – will Anthony Davis finally make his debut this weekend? 

Anthony Davis suffered an abdominal strain in his final days as a Laker. He’s remained sidelined ever since. But that is about to change now. Even though he’s still listed as PROBABLE on the Mavs’ injury report, we can confirm that AD will play in the Houston Rockets game tomorrow. 

“Yeah, I’m going to play tomorrow,” said Davis during his introductory press conference for the Mavs. With his return confirmed, Dallas have received a huge boost against the Rockets. Another cause for celebration is the return of PJ Washington on Saturday. PJ welcomed his third child into the world recently which caused him to miss 3 consecutive games for the Mavs. Of course, this took precedence over his career but now he’s back and he’ll be more motivated than ever. 

Sadly, that’s where the good news ends for Dallas. Unlike AD, his fellow new signee Caleb Martin is still OUT as he recovers from a hip strain. Dwight Powell is also OUT with the same injury. Whereas Dereck Lively II remains OUT with a stress fracture.

The Rockets will miss the duo of N’Faly Dante and Jack McVeigh. They are OUT with G-League duties owing to their two-way contracts. Fred VanVleet is OUT with a sprained ankle. His status is being considered week to week. Finally, Jabari Smith Jr. Is also OUT as he recovers from a devastating metacarpal fracture that’ll keep him out for the next few weeks.

Both teams seem to be doing quite well as we approach All-Star week. That said if you’re wondering how the Mavs might line up with AD in the team, then continue scrolling!

Dallas Mavericks vs Houston Rockets – predicted lineups and depth chart 

Coach Jason Kidd confirmed earlier that Anthony Davis would be playing as a power forward. AD himself also corroborated his coach’s claims. So here’s what the Mavs may look like as Anthony Davis finally makes his debut:

The Houston Rockets will probably field the same lineup they did in their last game. Although it didn’t go their way, it’s not like that was down to the quality of the players on the court. So here’s the lineup the Rockets might field against the Mavericks:

After losing a close matchup that ended up getting away from them in their last game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Rockets will be eager to prove their quality against the Dallas Mavericks. However, as the games in the regular season run down, the opportunity to secure a playoff spot also diminishes. There’s no doubt that AD and Co. will be aware of this.  And the duo of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis playing with urgency is a scary prospect.

This is why we’re sure that the game between the Mavericks and the Rockets this weekend will be sensational!