After continuing to bang their heads against a brick wall for two quarters, the Mavs played inspired ball in the second half.
The Mavericks (27-23) had no excuse to lose Monday's game in Philadelphia. So it's a good thing the Mavs woke up in the second half and pulled away from the 76ers (30-19) to win 118-102 at Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia entered this game without the services of reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who is suffering from a displaced meniscus flap. Embiid will initially be sidelined for an extended period of time as treatment options are evaluated. The 76ers were just 4-10 without Embiid this season until Monday's game against Dallas.
But then, with Tyrese Maxey in foul trouble and committing three baskets in the first quarter, conditions seemed ripe for the Mavs to pull away. But as always, the Mavericks made it harder to pull off a win than they should have in the first half before really hitting their stride in the third and fourth quarters.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavs with 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. He also contributed to the win with eight assists, five rebounds, and two steals. Kelly Oubre Jr. led the 76ers with 19 points and six rebounds.
Here are five stats that stood out from the Mavericks' recent wins.
8/3/19: Luka Doncic's stat line on his off night.
Watching the Mavs figure out a way to win a game from Dallas jack-of-all-trades Luka Doncic on an off night was important, if not necessarily impressive to watch in this moment. He had 19 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, making 6-of-14 from the field, but needed to heat up late to make 4-of-9 3-pointers in Philadelphia. did not become. It wasn't a bad night. It wasn't the best performance Doncic had fans expect this year.
Perhaps Doncic's most important statistic is the 36 minutes he played in the win, leading the league in minutes played per game. Mavs manager Jason Kidd ejected Doncic and Irving for the final time with less than five minutes left in the game.
In this film, Doncic's supporting role was the main character.
34/10/9: Impressive combination line between Josh Green and Maxi Kleber.
Maxi Kleber, No. 42, of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on February 5, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE, Getty Images
Mavs fans have been wondering when Josh Green and Maxi Kleber would be consistently positive contributors to the Mavs' success this season, and now it's happening right in front of our eyes. It may be. Green had 20 points, six boards and four assists in 32 minutes Monday. He did it all on just nine shot attempts, going 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Since Jan. 11, Green is averaging 14 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. This is Green's 11th game in a row and he's been on a roll, but it's been even more so in his last three games, with 18 points against the Timberwolves and 20 points each against Milwaukee and Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Maxi showed strength with both his inside and outside touch, scoring 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field (including 2-of-4 3-point attempts). He also had five assists, a follow-up to his 21-point performance in the Mavs' 129-117 loss to the Bucks on Saturday.
In total, six Mavericks scored in double figures in the win at Philadelphia. Grant Williams also joined the team and heated up in the fourth quarter, finishing with 14 points and seven boards.
17: Mavs defense gives up points in 3rd quarter
Even if you wouldn't call what the Mavericks did in the third quarter “lockdown defense,” you wouldn't argue with this result. They outscored the 76ers 24-17 by allowing just 17 points at halftime, turning a four-point halftime deficit into a three-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Mavs' defenders effectively kept Oubre and Maxey in front of them most of the time. They were forced to take tougher shots than they gave up in the first half, when Philadelphia produced 24 points in the paint.
41: 4th quarter point
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, 77, passes the ball past Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr., 9, during the fourth quarter at the Wells Fargo Center. .
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Mavs turned it around in the fourth quarter. Williams, Doncic and Jaden Hardy finally got hot from 3-point range, combining for 6 of 8 from deep four times.
With 7:31 remaining, Doncic made a deep 3-pointer to give the Mavs their first 15-point lead of the game, with Dallas leading 95-80 at that point. Just a few minutes later, Irving made another 3-pointer to make it 105-85. Both players finished the game shortly after, receiving high fives from their teammates and telling them to forget about the first half.
57-53: Keep it close on the board
The Mavs struggled against the 76ers in the first half, coming back 33-21 on their way to trailing 57-53 at halftime.
Dallas came back in the second half and outrebounded Philadelphia 32-24. And it was reflected on the scoreboard in the Mavs' recent win.
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