At last, after a 78-day, 36-game injury absence, center Dereck Lively II not only returned Wednesday night but started against Atlanta. It initially was a sight to behold, 7-1 Lively alongside 6-10 Anthony Davis as Mavericks for the first time,

Davis, who played just his sixth game with Dallas after missing time due to an adductor injury, finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal and five blocks in the contest. In doing so, he became the first player in Mavericks history to record this stat line in a game.

Dominate he did. The 10-time All-Star had 34 points (his most in six games with Dallas), 15 rebounds and five blocks (also a Dallas best) despite missing most of the second quarter after taking an elbow above his right eye as the Mavericks rallied from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Hawks 120-118.