Final: Mavs 113, 76ers 95

Box Score | Highlights

Behind the Box Score

The Mavericks exploded in the third quarter, scoring 31 points on a whopping 1.409 points per possession. That means, basically, that they scored two points on seven out of every 10 trips down the floor in the frame. They did it with hot shooting from the field, but complemented their 50 percent mark by shooting nine free throws, too. If you’re hitting shots AND shooting free throws, you know you’re in a groove. After a sluggish start, Dallas found its rhythm quite nicely after halftime.

Seth Curry nabbed a career-high-tying five steals in this one. He’s recorded at least three in four of his last 11 games. Curry continues to be an underrated and vastly improved defender, but if he continues at this rate, he won’t remain underrated for long. (He also added 22 points and six assists.)

Notebook

  • All of a sudden, the Mavs have won three in a row for the second time since the calendar flipped to 2017, and they’ve won eight of their last 11 games. Dallas has been red-hot after that slow start through December, and while the club wasn’t firing on every cylinder tonight — Dirk Nowitzki and Yogi Ferrell combined to shoot just 7 of 25 from the field — the offense was still able to surpass the century mark for the sixth time in the last seven games. The Mavericks have looked so, so much better in these last couple weeks, despite all the injuries and rotation adjustments and new lineups, etc. This has not been an easy period for the Mavs, despite what the increase in quality of play might suggest. This club just seems to be clicking now better than it has in quite some time. Dallas will now head to Portland on Friday for what’s sure to be a tough game in a raucous environment. Games up there are never easy.

  • Salah Mejri played what was easily his best game as an NBA player. The second-year pro collected 12 rebounds in the first half alone, which represented a season-high mark. He finished the game with 16 points and 17 boards. Mejri brought his usual brand of energy to the mix tonight, which made him a perfect fit for the style of the game. The Sixers play a very hard-nosed, blue-collar style of basketball, so it takes a high motor to compete with them for long stretches of a game. Mejri took their game right back at them tonight, and his activity in the pick-and-roll completely changed the game.

  • Before the game, Rick Carlisle warned that the Mavericks had better bring the energy tonight, praising the 76ers as perhaps the hardest-working team in the NBA. As usual, he was not wrong. Philly works so, so hard on every possession at both ends. Offensively, the Sixers are constantly moving, setting a bevy of screens and combining those actions with cuts and rolls that stretch defenses thin. Defensively, they fly everywhere as one single unit — in 2017, they’ve been one of the best defenses in basketball in terms of points allowed per 100 possessions. Dallas had to keep fresh bodies in the game as much as possible, as despite the relatively low number of possessions, the 76ers find a way to make each trip down the floor just a bit more challenging.

  • Yogi Ferrell didn’t score as many points tonight as he did against Cleveland, and he didn’t dish out as many assists as he did in his debut against the Spurs, but he made this play.

    https://twitter.com/bobbykaralla/status/826993960618950660

    Sometimes those plays make a bigger impression than a big bucket or a nice pass.

    What’s Next

    The Mavs (19-30) play the Portland Trail Blazers (22-28) on Friday at the Moda Center at 9:30 p.m. Central.

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