Even though star center Anthony Davis did not make his highly anticipated Mavericks debut on Thursday due to an abdominal strain, Dallas pulled out the 127-120 upset over the Boston Celtics. The Celtics came into the game winners of their last four.

The Dallas Mavericks head to Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a non-conference matchup. The Mavs are 26-22, which puts the team in eighth place in the Western Conference. The Cavs are 39-9, which puts the team in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Anthony Davis won't make his Mavericks debut Thursday vs. the Celtics as the center remains out with an abdominal strain.

It's hard to call it an NBA Finals rematch when Doncic isn't even on the Mavericks anymore, and Anthony Davis is. And it's hard to say that Mavericks fans will be as invested in this game as they were two weeks ago. That's what trading a city icon does to a fanbase.

Although he’s been in the league for almost six years, Caleb Martin made himself a well-known figure to NBA fans during the 2023 playoffs. He was pivotal in helping the Miami Heat reach the NBA Finals as the East’s eighth seed, taking down Boston in a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals battle.

The Dallas Mavericks acquired Martin on Tuesday in a trade with the 76ers that sends Grimes back to the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia also gets a 2025 second-round pick in a deal that was announced a few hours before the teams were set to play at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Dallas Mavericks hooked up on Tuesday to come up with a deal to send Caleb Martin to the Mavs in exchange for Quentin Grimes and a 2025 second-round pick. The Sixers are acquiring a sharpshooter in Grimes who is shooting 39.