Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers make the Mavericks wear down

The Sixers are used to developing without their main players, and as was the case last night in the absence of Paul George and Joel Embiid, Nick Nurse’s troops found the resources to overcome a rough Dallas formation. The fight will be intense, and Tyrese McKay will have to work until the end to secure victory, with 26 points from VJ Edgecombe and 21 points from Dominic Barlow, the X factors of the match.

VJ Edgecombe was the first to shine, starting his team on a 16-2 run with three straight baskets, including 2+1, then 3+1! The guard added a dunk on a layup before allowing Tyrese Maxey to hit his third 3-pointer of the night to put Philly up 12 (33-21).

The Mavs showed they had an answer, briefly regaining the lead thanks to an aggressive Cooper Flagg, an efficient Anthony Davis and a welcome 3-point assist from Ryan Nembhardt (53-54). Then another big batch, this time signed by Tirese Mackey, was needed to provide the locals with some fresh air.

The leader scored 10 points in a row (63-54), but it took more to discourage the Texans, who returned to -6 (62-68) at the break. Things got complicated for the Sixers when Cooper Flagg stepped up, accompanied by Klay Thompson, whose triple and floater brought Dallas to +6 12 minutes from time (91-97). Philadelphia quickly rallied, thanks to 3-pointers by Jared McCain and Adem Bona, until Tyrese Maxey put his team back in the lead again, with two baskets including another 3-point arrow (102-100).

The Mavericks were then forced to take a knee after an 11-0 run capped by the inevitable Tyrese Maxey, still within 3 points (115-104). This time, the hard part was done, even if the Sixers’ leader still had to score twice to give his team the win, 121-114.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– The “back field” of fire. Philadelphia could once again count on the great Tyrese Maxey to take the best on this night. Again, he took it upon himself to change the contested match until the end of the game. Next to him, the leader could count on VJ Edgecombe with a supercharger. The rookie also contributed with a total of 26 points, including a nice shot to his credit in the first quarter, but also two important baskets and 3 assists in the final act. With these two, Philadelphia has a fiery backcourt.

– Dominic Barlow as the X factor. He is also hyperactive, and stood out from the first seconds with a counter on Anthony Davis, followed by a fierce dunk on the counter. Enough to start his match on a good footing and provide a welcome improvement in scoring, with his career-high 21 points on 9/13 shooting.

– The Mavs bring out the watering can. The Mavs believed it all the way, but were not helped by their chronic clumsiness during the 3-point contest to finish 3/17 in shooting. To their credit, the Texans played Klay Thompson (knee) and Anthony Davis (illness) who weren’t at 100%, and it showed for Klay Thompson, who was a dismal 1/7 in practice. Dallas has generally lacked a relay behind the Flagg-Marshall-Davis trio, be it Klay Thompson or others.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Difference of points when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.