Fans gathered in protest outside the American Airlines Center hours before tipoff, but Davis appeared to be giving them something to cheer for.
DALLAS — The Mavericks lead the Rockets 65-48 at halftime.
For as hard as it was to believe that Anthony Davis was going to be joining the Mavericks roster, it might be even harder to believe the start he got out to in his Mavericks debut.
After hearing his name met with an abundance of cheers when Davis was announced in the starting lineup, the big man got off to a roaring start.
Before seven minutes had run off the clock, he was 5-of-6 on field goals including one made three-pointer. He had five rebounds, three assists, a blocked shot and one putback dunk that brought the crowd to its feet. It also saw Davis let out the first big roar of his Dallas tenure and was followed up with Davis chanting, “I’m here,” to the crowd.
Needless to say, his impact was felt immediately. He had the Mavericks out to a 13-point lead by the end of the first quarter, and the second quarter saw more of the same. It also featured the first Kyrie Irving to Davis lob connection which was met with a roaring ovation by the Dallas crowd. Davis finished the first half with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and three blocks in 20:34 minutes of play, the most of any player.
In addition to AD’s Dallas debut, the Mavericks got their first up close and personal look at Max Christie. In 11:22 minutes played, he went 2-for-3 including connecting on both of his 3-point attempts.
But the most impressive team stat from the first half was the fact that they held Houston to 48 points on 17-of-51 shooting. They forced four turnovers and allowed only 16 points in the paint. The defensive effort and execution looked elite.
For as much animosity as there was ahead of the Mavericks’ first game back in Dallas since the trade heard round the world, the first half of their homecoming against the Rockets was as positive as it could be.
