The [Dallas Mavericks defeated the Brooklyn Nets by a score of 120-101.](https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/dallas-mavericks-game-coverage/2025/3/24/24393324/thoughts-anthony-davis-return-dallas-mavericks-120-101-win-brooklyn-nets-game-recap-result-score) In Anthony Davis’ long-awaited return to the lineup, Dallas cruised to an easy win against an Eastern Conference bottom feeder.
It hasn’t been very fun in Maverick land lately, but seeing Davis back on the floor seemed to give everyone a boost. While the star big man didn’t seem close to 100-percent, his presence and gravity opened things up for Dallas in a big way. He finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 27 minutes. It was a tremendous team performance on both ends— don’t look now, but your [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.mavsmoneyball.com) are on a win streak! Here are three numbers that tell the story of this one.
7: Mavericks players in double figures
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Naji Marshall led the way for Dallas with 22 points off the bench, while Spencer Dinwiddie, PJ Washington, Brandon Williams, Kai Jones, Anthony Davis, and Max Christie all chipped in totals between 10 and 16 points. Dallas shot a blistering 56.3-percent from the field and did a wonderful job spreading the ball around. With no healthy star initiators on the roster, the Mavericks must win games with a “strength in numbers” approach. Tonight, they executed that formula to perfection.
64: Mavericks points in the paint
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With Davis back in the fold, Dallas was able to lean into its idealized identity: a two-way interior force. The Mavericks relentlessly attacked the rim all night, and their sheer size in the frontcourt overwhelmed Brooklyn on the offensive end. Kai Jones continues to impress (5-of-5 from the field tonight), and adding him to the Davis/PJ Washington duo gives Dallas a bevy of athletic interior options to finish plays.
31: points off Brooklyn turnovers
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The Nets turned the ball over 19 times, and Dallas made them pay over and over again. This Mavericks roster is full of athletic, defensive-minded players, and it’s at its best when they can get out and run. Brooklyn’s offensive ineptitude and inability to take care of the ball also fueled the Maverick transition attack, leading to 18 fastbreak points. Meanwhile, Dallas turned it over just 11 times for 14 Brooklyn points. You’ll win a lot of games with those kinds of differentials.