March 03, 2024
Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports
Tyrese Maxey dazzled early in his hometown of Dallas, scoring 17 first quarter points against the Mavericks
Seeking to continue to build momentum after a much-needed home win on Friday night, the Sixers headed to Dallas for a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Mavericks. The Sixers were able to put together one of their most impressive performances of the season without Embiid, knocking off a quality Mavericks team on the road by a score of 120-116. Here is what jumped out from the victory:
It was worth wondering if this new-look starting unit was well-equipped to defend a Mavericks starting five which features both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. After two minutes and 12 seconds, the answer appeared to be no — Dallas scored on their first four possessions — three times connecting from beyond the arc — and opened up an 11-0 lead. The Sixers looked completely out of sorts on both ends of the floor, and Nurse had to use a timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, though, the Sixers looked much more organized. Hield knocked down a three to get the Sixers on the board, and then Maxey went on a run of scoring and creating. An 11-2 Sixers run following Nurse's timeout forced one to be called by Dallas. Things could have gotten off the rails quickly, but the Sixers were able to land a necessary counterpunch.
Maxey, a native of the Dallas area, put on a show in the first quarter in front of his family and friends. Maxey totaled 17 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals on 7-10 shooting from the field in the period. He exhibited the truly elite blow-by speed that makes him so dangerous both in the open floor and in the half-court setting, knocked down a ridiculous step-back three on a move that shook a terrific defender in Dante Exum and did all of this without forcing the issue. When Embiid has been healthy, Maxey has taken a back seat during the first quarter in most games. But the Sixers need him to step up early with Embiid sidelined, and he has done a terrific job of late.
put 'em on skates. 🛼 pic.twitter.com/V7IAnySBRM
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 3, 2024
Friday night was Batum's best game in a long time, as he knocked down some threes and was impactful in several facets of the game. In his first nine minutes of action in this one, Batum failed to score. But he grabbed two offensive rebounds, three defensive rebounds, blocked a shot and collected two steals. In retrospect, it cannot be overstated how significant up an upgrade Batum is from PJ Tucker — Batum does the little things that do not show up in the box score just as well as Tucker — if not better — and is a considerably better and much more versatile shooter. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, he is going to help this team — especially if Embiid returns, as Batum has developed a tremendous rapport with the reigning NBA MVP.
Maxey only scored two points in the second quarter on 1-for-3 shooting. In most recent games, something like this would sink the Sixers. But in this one, Harris was able to put together a heater of his own in the second quarter, posting a dozen points in just under nine minutes of play. The Mavericks outscored the Sixers in the second quarter, but Harris did more than enough to keep his team afloat, and keep his team ahead going into intermission.
Late in the third quarter, the Sixers' All-Star guard slipped while driving to the basket and his head hit the leg of Mavericks wing Derrick Jones Jr. Maxey was on the floor for multiple minutes before eventually gingerly walking into the locker room to be examined.
However, once the fourth quarter began, Maxey was on the floor after being cleared by doctors. Crisis averted!
Reed is an inherently chaotic player, but if there is one consistent thing about him it is that he looks better when coming off the bench. Reed finished the game with more minutes than Bamba — as he also did on Friday in Bamba's first start. But he just appears to be more comfortable as a reserve, even when he plays starter-level minutes
It is a small sample size, but Nurse may have found something here with Bamba starting in Reed's place. When Reed is confident and sure of himself, his motor and athletic tools allow him to make things extremely difficult for the opposition.
Oubre has struggled on offense to a pretty extreme degree recently, failing to score with any sort of efficiency. After a brutal first half, Oubre helped put the game away, particularly after Maxey went down. Oubre still is having trouble knocking down shots from beyond the arc, but in the paint and mid-range area he was excellent in this one.
Oubre's inefficiency and reluctance to pass can be incredibly frustrating to watch, but especially with Embiid out, the Sixers are desperate for the kind of consistent rim pressure he provides as a driver. Perhaps this game could serve as a turning point for Oubre, who carried the offense for much of the second half.
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