Sixers (25-14) at Mavericks (23-15)

Time: 7:30 p.m. CT

Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: FSSW

Radio: ESPN, 103.3 FM, Univision, 1270 AM (Spanish)

About the Mavs: They are going for the season sweep of the Sixers, having already beaten the Sixers this season on Dec. 20 in Philly, 117-98. In that game, Luka Doncic was out with an ankle sprain, but Tim Hardaway Jr. picked up the slack with 27 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 22 points and 18 rebounds . . . The Mavericks have won 14 of the last 16 meetings in Dallas . . . This is the finale of a six-game home stand, the longest stretch of games at AAC this season. It has not been a friendly stay at home as the Mavericks are 2-3 on the home stand. They already have played half of their home games for the season and are a very pedestrian 11-10 . . . They are coming off a sour showing against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, when they fell behind by 22 in the first half and never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way . . . The Mavericks have lost five of their last seven games . . . Nine of their next 14 games after tonight are on the road, which may not be such a bad thing given their 12-5 road record thus far . . . They are 2-2 this season on the second night of back-to-back games . . . Seth Curry had 16 points Friday against the Lakers and has been on a nice roll lately, averaging 14.2 points over the last five games. He’s scored 12 or more in four of those games.

About the Sixers: They will be without star center Joel Embiid (left hand). It will be the second game in a row that the Mavericks have faced a team without a superstar big man. But it didn’t help them against the Lakers, who didn’t have Anthony Davis on Friday night . . . The Sixers have fallen on hard times lately, and they started well before Embiid went out. They lost all four games on a road trip, but have rebounded with home wins over Oklahoma City and Boston. Incidentally, they now are 3-0 this season against the Celtics . . . In the last five games, oversized point guard Ben Simmons has averaged 19.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He’s also averaged over seven assists per game and had four blocks in one game . . . Shooting guard Josh Richardson has averaged 26 points and 5.5 assists in the last two games . . . Al Horford, who has blistered the Mavericks a time or two with other teams, was one of the Sixers’ key acquisitions last summer and is averaging better than 12 points, six rebounds and three assists . . . They are a terrific rebounding team, averaging more than five boards more than their opponents . . . Probable starters: Tobias Harris, Mike Scott, Horford, Josh Richardson and Simmons.

Twitter: @ESefko

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