The Philadelphia 76ers are at home again as they approach the end of their six-game homestand. They are hosting the Dallas Mavericks and looking to get back into the win column. With the recent trade of star Luka Doncic to the Lakers and Anthony Davis out for tonight’s game, the Sixers have a chance to steal a game and get themselves back in the win column.
Sixers game information
Who: Dallas Mavericks (26-24) at Philadelphia 76ers (19-29)
When: 7 p.m. EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBA League Pass, FUBO
Latest on the Sixers
As rough of a season as it has been for the Sixers, there seems to be optimism throughout the team as they’re expected to start seeing the return of Joel Embiid, Paul George, Caleb Martin, KJ Martin, and Andre Drummond. It’s no secret that the Sixers have been beset by injuries throughout the year, causing them to slump to 11th place in the Eastern Conference in a season that held such high aspirations when it was starting. But they’re just one game out of the 10th spot for the play-in tournament and just five and a half games behind Miami for the 6th seed in the conference.
While it’s taken more time than anyone anticipated, Joel Embiid looks like he’ll be playing basketball again, if not tonight, then maybe tomorrow against the Miami Heat. Embiid has been riddled with injuries and setbacks throughout the season, and it’s hurting the club. With Paul George injured this season as well, the team has been without two of its biggest stars for the majority of the season. Hopefully, that seems to all be changing over the next few days.
In their absence, guard Tyrese Maxey has taken control of a team that, on m most nights, features a lineup of quality reserves and rookies who have been thrown into starting positions. He’s been able to regain his shooting touch of late and has been leading the team, even in their two most recent losses to the Nuggets and Celtics. Over his last ten games, Maxey has averaged 33.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 7.6 assists while shooting 49.6% from the floor and 38.8% on his three-point attempts.
What the team has truly been able to accomplish over this season is an evaluation of some players that may not have happened without all of the injuries they faced. Guerschon Yabusele has thrived in a starting role, Kelly Oubre Jr. has once again shown his reliability on the court, and undrafted rookie Justin Edwards has proven that he can play a pivotal role on an NBA team. Ricky Council IV and Adem Bona have been given minutes and shown their value, which will only improve the team when they welcome back all of their injured players.
Latest on the Mavericks
What do you say about the Dallas Mavericks? They’re a team that went to the NBA Finals last season and lost to the Boston Celtics. They featured one of this generation’s best point guards, Kyrie Irving, and one of the top three players in the league, Luka Doncic. That was until a few days ago when Doncic was traded in a late-night deal to the Lakers, and Anthony Davis was sent to Dallas. Davis will not play against the Sixers tonight, leaving the Mavericks shorthanded.
Everyone in the league was shocked when the Mavericks traded Doncic to the Lakers late on Saturday night. Now, it will be up to Irving, Davis, and Klay Thompson to try to get the Mavericks back to the NBA Finals. While the Mavericks have a good trio, Thompson is about to turn 35 in a few days, and Irving is a month away from being 33 years old. The team doesn’t have a big window to get a title, but they believe they stand a better chance with Davis in the lineup than they did with Doncic. Whether that works out, only time will tell.
What to watch for tonight
If the Sixers can rely on Maxey, if they’re still drastically shorthanded, and get some quality minutes from Yabusele, Oubre Jr., Edwards, and Ricky Council, tonight could be an exciting game. The team has been playing well together and has learned that it can win games despite missing such valuable pieces of its lineup.
If any of the injured return, the game could get out of hand rather quickly because the Sixers, if they’re completely healthy, can compete with anyone in the league. The good news, having had their biggest players miss so much time, could be that they’re cautious with the returns and that when Embiid, George, and the Martins get back on the court, there will be no lingering issues. A healthy Sixers team could be a real problem as the regular season heads towards a finish. With just three games left before the week-long All-Star break, the Sixers may finally be getting healthy at a good time in the year and ready to move toward the playoffs with a complete roster.
Prediction
Sixers 123 – Mavericks 111
The Sixers will be facing a relatively healthy Mavericks team that features seven players who score in double figures. The Sixers have Maxey, Yabusele, and Oubre Jr., or do they? With the exception of rookie Jared McCain, who was lost for the season, the Sixers had a full practice on Monday, and everyone who’s been missing time of late has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game. That doesn’t mean that all of them will be returning, but it’s a positive that three of the Sixer’s main starting five are getting closer to returning.
