With the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers squaring off tonight, let’s take a look at the key matchup: the battle of the bigs. With both teams featuring some of the best big men in the NBA, this should be a very exciting game to watch.
Overview of the game
In this game, the Dallas Mavericks will go against the Philadelphia 76ers. This will be an interesting matchup as both teams are evenly matched. The Mavericks are led by star point guard, Dennis Smith Jr., while the 76ers are led by their young center, Joel Embiid.
both teams are searching for a win to improve their playoff chances. The Mavericks are currently sixth in the Western Conference with a record of (30-22), while the 76ers occupy the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of (28-25).
This game will be played at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on February 11th, 2019 at 8:00 PM EST.
Key players in the game
In this matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers, there are a few key players to keep an eye on.
For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic is averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 assists, and 8.8 rebounds per game. He is shooting 46.8% from the field and 32.7% from three-point range. Doncic is a tough player to stop and he will be a big factor in this game.
Another player to watch for the Mavericks is Kristaps Porzingis. He is averaging 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 42.3% from the field and 35.2% from three-point range. Porzingis is a great player on both ends of the court and he will need to be at his best in this game.
For the 76ers, Joel Embiid is averaging 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks per game while shooting 49% from the field and 31% from three-point range. Embiid is a dominant force in the paint and he will be a tough matchup for the Mavericks’ big men.
Another player to watch for the 76ers is Ben Simmons. He is averaging 16 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals per game while shooting 58% from the field and 33% from three-point range. Simmons is a versatile player who can impact the game on both ends of the court
Phi vs dal nba
The Dallas Mavericks took on the Philadelphia 76ers in a Wednesday night matchup. The Mavericks were coming off a loss to the Houston Rockets, while the 76ers were fresh off a victory against the Golden State Warriors. The game was close throughout, with neither team leading by more than six points. Ultimately, it was the Mavericks who came out on top, winning by a final score of 106-100.
In the first quarter, both teams got off to a slow start offensively. The Mavericks were able to take an early lead thanks to some good outside shooting from Wesley Matthews and Justin Anderson. The Sixers countered with some tough defense, led by Nerlens Noel. The quarter ended with the Mavericks leading by a score of 20-17.
The second quarter was much of the same, as neither team was able to gain much momentum. The Sixers did a good job of taking away the Mavericks’ outside shooting, but they couldn’t take advantage on offense themselves. At halftime, the Mavericks held a slim lead, 41-40.
In the third quarter, the Sixers finally found their offensive groove. They went on a 13-2 run to take their first lead of the game at 53-51. The Mavericks responded with a 10-0 run of their own to retake the lead. From there, it was back and forth all quarter long until the Mavericks took a 79-77 lead into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was all about defense for both teams. Neither team could get anything going offensively for most of the quarter. With under two minutes remaining in the game, Matthews hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Mavericks some breathing room at 102-97. The Sixers responded with a quick 5-0 run to make it interesting again, but they couldn’t get any closer and ultimately lost by a final score of 106-100.
The game’s turning point
In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks went on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good. Luka Doncic had eight points during the decisive stretch, including a go-ahead jumper with 1:04 remaining. The Mavericks
finished the game on a 16-4 run.
What the Mavericks need to do to win
The Mavericks simply need to play better than they did in their first matchup against the 76ers. They were outscored by 15 points in the second half and let Philly go on a big run to close the game. Dallas needs to do a better job of defending the three-point line and keep the Sixers off the offensive glass. The Mavericks also need to take better care of the ball and make smarter decisions on offense. If they can do all of that, they should be able to come away with a win.
What the 76ers need to do to win
The Dallas Mavericks have been on a roll as of late, but the Philadelphia 76ers are still the better team. The Sixers have the best record in the NBA, and they are coming off a win against the Mavericks.
The Sixers need to do a few things to win this game. First, they need to stop Luka Doncic. Doncic is averaging 28.8 points per game, and he is the engine that makes the Mavericks go. If the Sixers can slow him down, they will be in good shape.
Second, the Sixers need to take advantage of their size advantage. The Mavericks are not a big team, and the Sixers can exploit that with their big men, Joel Embiid and Al Horford. If they can control the paint, they will likely win this game.
Third, the Sixers need to make their shots. They are a good shooting team, but they have been struggling from three-point range lately. If they can knock down some outside shots, they should be able to put this game away.
The Mavericks’ game plan
The Mavericks will look to employ a similar game plan that they used in their first matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, in which they won 113-95. In that game, the Mavericks used a balanced scoring attack, with seven players scoring in double figures. They also did a good job of taking care of the ball, committing just 10 turnovers.
On the defensive end, the Mavericks limited the Sixers to just 43.8% shooting from the field and 26.3% from three-point range. They’ll need to be equally as stingy in this second matchup if they want to come away with a win.
The Mavericks will also need to be mindful of Sixers star center Joel Embiid, who had a big game against them in the first matchup, scoring 27 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Dallas will need to find a way to slow him down if they want to come away with a win on Friday night.
The 76ers’ game plan
The Philadelphia 76ers will look to continue their recent winning ways when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. The Sixers have won four of their last five games, including a 103-93 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday. Philadelphia is currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 30-22.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, are coming off a 103-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night. Dallas is now 22-32 on the season and sitting in 13th place in the Western Conference.
Saturday’s matchup will be the second meeting between these two teams this season. In their first matchup, back on December 20th, the Mavericks came away with a 108-103 victory. Dallas has won three of the last four meetings between these two teams.
The key for the Sixers in this game will be to contain Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic. In three games against Philadelphia last season, Doncic averaged 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. The Sixers will need to find a way to slow down Doncic if they want to come away with a victory on Saturday night.