Player grades: Luka Doncic, Mavericks prove to be too much for Sixers
DALLAS–The Philadelphia 76ers continued their five-game road trip on Thursday night when they paid a visit to the Dallas Mavericks on the second night of a back-to-back. The Sixers were just in Miami on Wednesday night and they were looking to build off a win.
However, when a team on the other side had a night off and they have two of the more explosive scorers in the game, that’s a tall order for any team. Luka Doncic had 42 points and 12 assists and Kyrie Irving added 40 and six assists and the Mavericks were able to knock off the Sixers 133-126 at home. Dallas knocked down 25 triples on the night. Philadelphia was terrific offensively as they shot 57.7%, but their defense was atrocious in this one.
Joel Embiid had 35 points and seven rebounds in his return from a one-game absence, James Harden had 27 points and 13 assists, and Tyrese Maxey had 29. De’Anthony Melton had 12, six rebounds, and six assists off the bench while Tobias Harris added 10 and five rebounds.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
James Harden: A-
The Beard was in a major groove early. Not just with his own offense, but as far as the pick-and-roll with Embiid, he was doing whatever he wanted on the offensive end. He was terrific in the first quarter as he scored 16 points on 4-for-4 shooting, he made all three of his triples, and he had seven assists. That production allowed Philadelphia to keep up with the Mavericks who were in an offensive groove led by Doncic and Irving. However, things completely changed after halftime as the Sixers were sloppy on both ends of the floor. They were bad defensively and they weren’t able to keep up offensively which led to the Mavs breaking the game open. He had some brutal turnovers in the fourth to help Dallas seal it.
Tyrese Maxey: B-
Staying in the starting lineup even with Embiid back on the floor, Maxey was able to get some offense off some advanced passes. He thrives when playing next to Harden due to The Beard’s playmaking abilities. With Harden off the floor, Maxey used his quickness to get some easy buckets for Philadelphia’s offense. As with everybody else on the Sixers, the third quarter was not good for him. He wasn’t able to get to the basket and make an impact and he got lost quite a few times on the defensive end. He does get credit for leading a spirited comeback to start the fourth as Philadelphia cut a 25-point deficit down to just four before the Mavs pulled away.
Tobias Harris: C+
It was another fast start for Harris as he was able to get to his spots on the offensive end. He was aggressive on that end as he was fighting for position and he was able to attack the Mavericks by using his size and strength. After that fast start, he wasn’t able to do much. He had a tough time getting to his spots and he also wasn’t able to convert on the open looks he was receiving on offense.
PJ Tucker: C
Once again, Tucker’s stat line isn’t going to show anything impressive, but he was able to put his stamp on this one. His screen-setting, sense of spacing, and understanding of where to be is a big plus for this group on offense. He struggled a bit on defense, but he battled and bothered the Mavs on that end. That obviously changed in the second half, however.
Joel Embiid: B+
It was obvious that the Mavericks didn’t have anybody to defend Embiid in this one. The big fella went right at Dwight Powell to start and made his life miserable and then he did the same to Maxi Kleber. The pick-and-roll game between he and Harden was almost unstoppable as both guys were making the right decisions on how to attack the Dallas defense. To the credit of the Maverick, they really contained Embiid in the second half. He wasn’t able to get the same open looks as Dallas turned up its pressure in the third quarter to really take control of this one. He allowed Mavericks wing Josh Green to walk in for an offensive rebound while Philadelphia tried for a furious fourth-quarter comeback late.
De'Anthony Melton: B+
Moving back into a reserve role, Melton was very good in this one. He battled on defense with the Mavericks’ stars and he also was taking advantage of his open triples within the offense. He was very good on both ends of the floor and that is why he will have a big opportunity to contribute in the playoffs. Overall, he was very good in this one.
Georges Niang: C-
Getting back into the rotation after not playing on Wednesday, Niang received first quarter minutes and he drew an offensive foul on Doncic. The negatives were that he missed his wide-open triples which is his main role on this team.
Jalen McDaniels: C+
The defensive night for McDaniels was a bit rough, but when a player has to defend the likes of Irving and Doncic, that player can get a pass. He will get points off for the defensive fouls he committed toward the end of the third. He did miss an open corner triple that he is going to have to convert going forward in order to help this team succeed.
Paul Reed: C-
After such a terrific performance against the Heat on Wednesday, Reed had a tough start in this one. Dallas big man Christian Wood was getting whatever he wanted on offense and Reed couldn’t deter him too much while he also getting into foul trouble. He will get points for his defense in the fourth quarter.
Montrezl Harrell: Incomplete
Reed’s struggles brought on Harrell in the second quarter. The veteran played in his first game since Feb. 13 against the Houston Rockets and he surprisingly was solid defensively, but he wasn’t able to convert on an open look on the offensive end. He only played two minutes.
Shake Milton: Incomplete
The veteran out of SMU did not receive a look until the fourth quarter, but he made an immediate impact. He forced Irving into a tough miss ad then he was able to convert on a tough look on the offensive end. He ended up playing only five minutes.
