PLAYER GRADES: Philadelphia 76ers 120, Dallas Mavericks 114
The Philadelphia 76ers’ first preseason game in China was highlighted by J.J. Redick’s hot hand.
Following two preseason wins in Wells Fargo Center, the Philadelphia 76ers traveled to China for their first matchup with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. The atmosphere did not disappoint, with loud cheers — and boos — going both ways.
The Sixers got off to a slow start, turning the ball over seven times in the first quarter. Dallas got out to a solid lead as a result, holding a nine-point advantage after one. From there on out, the Sixers controlled the game’s tempo.
Dallas hung around through parts of the second and third quarters, going on a few mini-runs. The Sixers consistently answered back, though, with J.J. Redick and Joel Embiid putting on an impressive offensive display.
A. <strong>21 mins | 28 pts | 0 reb | 4 ast | </strong><p>Redick exploded despite a chorus of boos, hitting all 10 field goal attempts, including 7-7 from deep. His off-ball movement and spacing remains an important part of the Sixers’ offensive scheme, so expect him to close a lot of games this season.</p>. SG. Philadelphia 76ers. J.J. REDICK
A. <strong>25 mins | 18 pts | 3 reb | 1 ast |</strong><p>Shamet deserves regular season minutes. It’s that simple. The rookie provides two traits the Sixers desperately need in the second unit: ball handling and knockdown shooting. He’s learning from J.J. Redick and looks thoroughly better than <a rel=. SG. Philadelphia 76ers. LANDRY SHAMET
B. <strong>23 mins | 22 pts | 10 reb | 4 ast | </strong><p>This was another positive showing from Embiid. He scored at will underneath, using his strong frame to carve out space and hit with touch around the rim. His three-point shot isn’t there yet, but the mechanics look fine. He was a few bad turnovers away from an A.</p>. C. Philadelphia 76ers. JOEL EMBIID
<strong>28 mins | 7 pts | 5 reb | 5 ast |</strong><p>Saric hasn’t looked great this preseason. His three-point shots aren’t falling (although he got one to fall in this game) and his rhythm is lacking. It’s worth reiterating how well he fits in the second unit and how important Redick is to the offense as a whole.</p>. PF. Philadelphia 76ers. DARIO SARIC. D+
<strong>23 mins | 4 pts | 3 reb | 3 ast | </strong><p>This was easily Fultz’s worst preseason showing to date. He never found much on offense, hitting just 2-7 from the field and missing his only three-point attempt. His length and athleticism still popped on defense, though, and his creation skills are an important to the Sixers’ success. The five fouls, ideally, were an anomaly.</p>. SG. Philadelphia 76ers. MARKELLE FULTZ. C-
Despite being listed as questionable with gastroenteritis, Redick scorched Shanghai with a perfect shooting night. He was 10-10 from the field, including 7-7 from deep. He capped off his impressive run with a 28-foot bomb late in the third quarter.
Embiid scored 22 points on 8-16 shooting, using his physical prowess to control the paint against inferior defenders. DeAndre Jordan isn’t in China for personal reasons, leaving the Mavericks without a solid answer for Embiid underneath. Salah Mejri is a big man, but Embiid was little issue maneuvering around the paint.
Perhaps the most surprising performance from tonight, however, came courtesy of Landry Shamet. The rookie made a compelling case for regular rotation minutes, scoring 18 points on 3-5 shooting from deep.
Unlike Marco Belinelli, Shamet is a capable ball handler and secondary playmaker, adding another dimension to the Sixers’ second unit. If his shot continues to fall — as it always has, dating back to his days at Wichita State — fans should expect to see him on the floor this season.
Markelle Fultz never got much going tonight, which was a slight disappointment. His one attempted three came up short and he struggled to find rhythm on offense. Ben Simmons finished just shy of a triple-double, posting nine points, nine boards and 10 assists.
As for the Mavericks, Doncic flashed his potential with some impressive dimes and shifty handles. Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell both provided quality minutes off the Dallas bench, with the former scoring 16 points.
Their leading scorer was Dennis Smith Jr., who tallied 18 points.
Next. Fultz should close games for the Sixers. dark
The Sixers will face the Mavericks again on Monday at 8 AM E.T. in Shenzhen.