The Philadelphia 76ers play host to the Dallas Mavericks at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday Night.
This is the second and final meeting between the two squads. The Mavericks took the first matchup 107-98 in Dallas behind Luka Doncic’s 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 15 assists performance at American Airlines Center.
In their last outing, the 76ers enter this one with an impressive 118-114 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Cavs center Jarrett Allen out due to a finger injury, 76ers Joel Embiid had his way on Wednesday night. He had a monster stat line with 35 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists against the playoff-bound Cavaliers.
The Mavericks come into this matchup winners of three in a row, including their most recent one, a 113-111 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Dallas won on a buzzer-beating three as time expired as former Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie sunk the triple as time expired, leaving Barclays Center stunned.
Dallas Mavericks Preview
The Dallas Mavericks have enjoyed a rather impressive surge in March. Behind some tremendous performances by Luka Doncic, the Mavericks found themselves on a three-game winning streak on the road.
Their latest win against the Brooklyn Nets saw a dramatic finish. In what started as a tough defensive assignment containing Kevin Durant, the Mavericks made a late-game run to bring them within punching distance.
After a potential dagger from Durant, the Mavs answered with their killer blow as Spencer Dinwiddie hit a three-pointer from the right-wing with the clock winding down. Having made the basket against his former team, Dinwiddie has continued to prove his worth as an asset for the Mavericks organization.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
Although the Philadelphia 76ers boast one of the most talented rosters in the league, their last few showings haven’t been as impressive. With three wins in their last five outings, the Sixers find themselves on a two-game home losing streak as they head into their next matchup.
A key reason for this has been some relatively poor defense. The 76ers rank 17th in the league in defensive rating (115.5). While their offense has seen stagnant stretches, their offensive rating has increased to 114.7 in March.
While the Sixers are coming off a win in their latest game, Philadelphia will be in a predicament as Joel Embiid features on the injury report with back soreness.
Listed as questionable, the Sixers will need their remaining key players, such as James Harden and Tyrese Maxey to pick up the slack should Embiid be absent.