The Dallas Mavericks narrowly defeated the Indiana Pacers 107-105 at home, but the team's new core player, Anthony Davis, left the game early in the first quarter due to soreness in his left calf and was unable to return to the court.

Late in the first quarter, Davis limped as he returned to defense after hitting a floater from the left baseline. He then crouched in front of the bench, was examined by the team doctor, and taken back to the locker room. According to the pre-game injury report, he had been listed as available to play, but was suffering from bilateral Achilles tendinopathy.

Head coach Jason Kidd revealed Davis's injury after the game: "He has soreness in his left calf. He tried to return to the court, but we didn't want to take any risks, so we had to let him rest and see how he recovers."

The 32-year-old ten-time All-Star left the game early on February 8th during his Mavericks home debut due to an adductor injury. At that time, he had just been traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Mavericks, and the trade partner was none other than the team's former star player, Luka Doncic.

This sensational trade caused a stir in the league, and Davis subsequently missed 18 games due to injury, only returning to play in 8 of the last 10 games of the season. The Mavericks will next face the Detroit Pistons in Mexico City, and the team will have two days of rest, but Davis's injury is still under evaluation, and his availability is not expected to be announced until Friday.

Given the current situation, it is highly unlikely that Davis will play on Saturday. Although the team is also facing a shortage of players in the frontcourt, with Derrick Lifeley II and Daniel Gafford both recovering from injuries, it is widely believed that it would be wise to allow Davis to fully recover before returning to the court.