Mavericks at Philadelphia 76ers
(6 p.m. Thursday, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia)
TV: Fox Sports Southwest/TNT
Radio: ESPN 103.3 FM (Univision 1270 AM, Spanish)
About the Mavericks (15-15): No, it’s not a misprint. The Mavericks are back to .500 and playing their best basketball of the season after a thrilling 110-107 victory over Boston on Tuesday . . . They are hoping to get Kristaps Porzingis back after he’s missed the last two games with lower-back tightness . . . It’s also possible they could get Maxi Kleber back after he missed the Boston game with a left-foot sprain. As of Wednesday afternoon, both were listed as questionable, which is an upgrade after both were ruled out early before the Boston game . . . Nobody can ever accuse Luka Dončić of wilting under pressure. In two of the last three games, we’ve seen how the point guard attacks tense situations. He took the game-tilting shot on both occasions. Against Portland, it didn’t go in and Luka was visibly upset with himself after the 3-pointer rattled in and out. Against Boston, it went down and he slammed a fist on the scorer’s table and celebrated with teammates. That’s the way it is for the best players in the NBA. They ask for the pressure, then respond. It’s not always going to work out, but when it does, it’s frozen-in-time type of stuff . . . In the past five games, Jalen Brunson has averaged 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists . . . The Mavericks have won six of their last seven games to get back to .500.
About the Sixers (21-11): They lead the Eastern Conference and have what many believe to be the No. 1 MVP candidate in center Joel Embiid, who is averaging better than 30 points and 11 rebounds per game. He’s also making 39 percent of his 3-point shots, although he’s showing an economy of usage from beyond the arc, shooting less than three long-distance heaves per game . . . The Sixers have won three of their past four after enduring a three-game losing streak earlier in the month . . . The Mavericks will not see their former teammate Seth Curry, who is sidelined with an ankle issue. Before the injury, Curry was averaging 12.9 points and shooting better than 45 percent from 3-point range . . . The Mavericks have had surprising luck against the Sixers lately, winning the last three meetings by an average of 18 points per game . . . The Sixers are prone to turnovers, averaging nearly 16 per game. However, they are a solid defensive team, holding opponents to 45.2 percent from the field, sixth lowest in the league . . . Forward Tobias Harris (20.7 points, 7.7 rebounds) got substantial support for an all-star berth . . . It’ll be a rare night for Luka as he’ll se a point guard bigger than he is in Ben Simmons, who has played well this season, averaging 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment