LOS ANGELES — Midway through the fourth quarter of Friday’s game between the Lakers and Mavericks, Anthony Davis had his moment. LeBron James, Davis’s former teammate, corralled an offensive rebound in the paint. When James attempted to flip in a left-handed putback, Davis was there, swatting the ball into a far corner.

“Presented itself,” Davis said of the block after the game.

Was there any extra juice in blocking James?

“No,” Davis said. “[There’s] pleasure in winning. Not just a block.”

Dallas didn’t win, falling to Los Angeles, 129–119, the Mavs’ third straight defeat. Still, the return of Davis, out since late October, offered a silver lining. In 28 minutes, Davis scored 12 points, chipping in five rebounds and three blocks. When Jason Kidd, who said before the game Davis was on

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