The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon. The Mavericks lost to the 76ers, 130-12, at the American Airlines Center in Downtown Dallas. Dallas fell to 33-36 and lost its third straight game, while Philadelphia improved to 23-44 and snapped a three-game losing skid. The Mavericks-76ers game was initially scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Eastern as part of ABC’s NBA Sunday Showcase before being flexed.
PJ Washington Jr. led the Mavericks with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 assists. Naji Marshall followed up with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Klay Thompson added 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. Spencer Dinwiddie had 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Max Christie scored 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Brandon Williams recorded 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Dallas Mavericks-Philadelphia 76ers Recap
The Dallas Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Caleb Martin with a right hip strain, Daniel Gafford with a right knee sprain, Dante Exum with a left hand fracture, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, Jaden Hardy with a right ankle sprain, Kai Jones with a left quadriceps strain, Kyrie Irving with a torn ACL and left knee sprain, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper with a right wrist sprain.
The Philadelphia 76ers ruled out Adem Bona with a left ankle sprain, Andre Drummond with a left toe sprain, Eric Gordon with a right wrist sprain, Jared McCain with a torn left meniscus, Joel Embiid with a torn left meniscus, Kelly Oubre Jr. with a right knee sprain, Kyle Lowry with right hip injury management, Lonnie Walker IV with a concussion, and Paul George with groin and knee treatment consultation.
Both teams were short-handed entering the Sunday matinee. Both teams had high hopes that went unfulfilled, despite high-profile offseason moves but made do on Sunday. The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Brandon Williams, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, PJ Washington Jr., and Kessler Edwards. The 76ers’ starting lineup featured Jared Butler, Quentin Grimes, Ricky Council, Justin Edwards, and Guerschon Yabusele.
The first quarter favored the 76ers. Washington Jr. wasted no time with a pull-up three-pointer, but the 76ers’ offense picked up the pace. The 76ers led 36-32 at the end of the first. The second quarter shifted in favor of the Mavericks. The Mavericks quickly scored nine points for a five-point lead, 43-38, and followed up with a sequence of buckets from Williams. The Mavericks took a 68-64 lead into halftime.
The third quarter shifted in favor of the 76ers. The 76ers’ fast start was later overshadowed by the Mavericks’ offense looking for a close game. The 76ers regained the lead, 98-86, after three quarters. The fourth quarter saw a slow start, but the 76ers reached the 100-point mark and steadily played until the end amid the Mavericks’ efforts. The 76ers held on for a 130-125 win in regulation.
Mavericks-Sixers Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers game featured multiple highlights, such as Dallas-based Southwest Airlines’ Luka Doncic joke amid anger over checked baggage charges starting on May 28. Only Southwest Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members and Business Select Passengers will continue to receive two checked bags. Southwest wrote in an Instagram post, “It’s not like we traded Luka…”
Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont spoke at the Bank of Texas Speaker Series on February 13. Dumont said, “Tough decisions are never easy … And part of leadership is looking at risk and looking at all the factors of a decision and being willing to act at that time and look to the long term and not only think about the short term or how it may be received immediately but to think about the long-term benefits and what it may allow you to achieve, if given all the right considerations.”
The 76ers signed Oshae Brissett to a 10-day deal via a hardship exception. Brissett won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2024. He’s a 6-foot-7 forward who knows 76ers Head Coach Nick Nurse from the Toronto Raptors stint and the Canadian men’s national team. He hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since but averaged 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 11 games for the G League’s Long Island Nets.
Final Thoughts
Exum fractured his left hand during the Dallas Mavericks’ 133-96 loss to the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Friday night. Exum’s — and eight other Maverick injuries — left the Mavericks with grim looks on their faces. Exum previously fractured his right hand in training camp last September and didn’t return until January.
The Mavericks have been seriously bitten by the injury bug, which has affected their practice time. The Mavericks dressed just nine players for Friday night’s game. Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd said the team gets into small groups to work on things. The injured Mavericks have given plenty of support to their teammates who can play and make their way onto the court.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that the Mavericks could be forced to forfeit games if they fall below the minimum of eight active players required for teams to play. Marks also said last offseason’s Thompson sign-and-trade and the Marshall signing “triggered the first apron hard cap.” Furthermore, Dallas isn’t allowed to exceed the “first apron under any circumstances.”
In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, Max Christie confirmed his transition to Dallas has been relatively smooth. Christie, who began his Mavericks stint on a high note and quickly declined, has received support from Davis, with whom he had a close relationship in Los Angeles. Christie has denied that the Mavericks are trying to tank and lose games.
The Dallas Mavericks will take on the Indiana Pacers in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. The Pacers signed veteran Center Tony Bradley to a second temporary contract on Friday after signing Bradley to a 10-day deal two weeks ago. Bradley played in his first game as a Pacer since re-signing was against the 76ers on Friday night.
