After missing 6 weeks, Anthony Davis returns to action and scores 12 points in 27 minutes in an important win against Brooklyn. Anthony Davis could not help but grin.

Though limited to a 28-minute ceiling, Davis mostly looked like himself against the Nets, his first action since his Feb. 8 Dallas debut. He opened the game with a clean cut and dunk, moved well defensively, and generally inspired some optimism for a team that has been devoid of any essentially since his acquisition.

After trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and getting Anthony Davis in return, the Dallas Mavericks were still expected to be a title contender. Their