GRADES: Sixers handle Mavs at home

In this game, Luka Doncic came to town with his lethal, all-around game. This was the same Mavericks team that gave the Sixers one of their rare home losses last season.
This game also saw the return of Josh Richardson, who was swapped for Seth Curry in the offseason. Another familiar face — Boban Marjanovic — was in the Mavericks’ starting lineup.

The game began with both teams playing sloppy and shooting cold. Joel Embiid, who had a terrible shooting series against the Raptors, hit a single 3-pointer in the first period, but could not find his stroke from mid-range. What carried Philly early on was the perimeter shooting of Seth Curry and Danny Green.

The Mavs’ offense sputtered as well, until former Villanova star — Jalen Brunson — brought a spark off the bench. Josh Richardson knocked down a few shots and kept Dallas close in the quarter. The energy and physical dominance of Dwight Howard gave the Sixers a much needed presence in the paint. Matter of fact, Howard was a force on the offensive glass and as a rim protector, ripping rebounds and swatting shots.

The defense of Philly, as a whole, had Dallas scrambling on offense, forcing bad shots. Individually, Ben Simmons was determined to police the perimeter, making multiple stops and locking down Doncic. The Mavs seemed out of sorts, and Doncic was not playing like the star that fans were used to witnessing. At points he looked as awkward as Shaq in a purple turtleneck. The biggest disadvantage for Dallas was the matchup issues they faced with Brunson getting posted by bigger players like Simmons and Harris.

The Sixers eventually heated up from the perimeter with Embiid and Curry, while Simmons had multiple drives and strong finishes at the rim before going into halftime. While on a 14-0 run, Philly forced 13 Dallas turnovers. The Sixers led at intermission, 59-43.

Out of the half, the Sixers offense struggled even worse than in the first quarter. Their only scoring for the first eight minutes came from free throws. Embiid vented his frustration after missing shots and getting fouled near the rim. Luckily for the 76ers, Dallas continued to rack up turnovers. The Mavs’ only saving grace was that Doncic got hot from deep. He nailed a trio of 3-pointers to close the Philly lead.

Word was relayed in the second half that Tobias Harris would not return to the game because of a knee bruise. Although his absence was felt offensively, it forced Shake Milton to step up his game. He led a run in the fourth that allowed Philly to pull away. Mike Scott even chipped in with some timely 3-pointers. Korkmaz hit some nice perimeter shots, and the bench’s final quarter scoring outburst helped put the game out of reach for Dallas.

With more than four minutes left, the bench was emptied, and the starters rested.

The Philadelphia 76ers were ready for Luka Doncic and the Mavs. The bench made sure they kept a lead that the starters helped build.

After this win, the Sixers maintained their top spot in the Eastern Conference and still hold the second best home record in the NBA.

The next game for the Philadelphia 76ers is Sat., Feb. 27 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:00 PM ET.