Anthony Davis has left the bench area in his debut with the Dallas Mavericks after sustaining an injury late in the third quarter Saturday against Houston.

It is a foregone conclusion that any team trading a 25-year-old superstar for a rival’s 31-year-old superstar is searching for short-term rewards. Is three quarters about the shortest on record? Anthony Davis was fantastic for about an hour and a half Saturday afternoon,

Center Anthony Davis has been thrust into an unenviable position. A week ago, Davis was enjoying life on the Los Angeles Lakers —for whom he had been productive and uncharacteristically durable this season. Now, thanks to a trade, he plays for a Dallas Mavericks team with fans still upset about the exit of guard Luka Dončić.