Philadelphia 76ers leaned on Tyrese Maxey’s scoring burst to close strong and defeat the Dallas Mavericks 121-114 on Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The win pushed Philadelphia to 16-11 and marked its sixth victory in the last eight games.
Tyrese Maxey finished with 38 points, continuing his league-leading pace as he entered the night third in the NBA at 31.4 points per game. Seven of those points came during a decisive fourth-quarter stretch that flipped a tight contest in Philadelphia’s favor.
The 76ers were shorthanded, playing without Joel Embiid due to illness and right knee injury management, as well as Paul George because of left knee injury management. Despite the absences, Philadelphia controlled the final minutes with improved spacing and defensive pressure.
VJ Edgecombe added 26 points and played a key role in the late run, scoring four points during an 11-0 surge midway through the fourth quarter. The rookie also set the tone early, scoring 14 points in the first quarter while attacking the rim in transition.
Dominick Barlow chipped in 21 points, providing interior scoring and energy alongside Andre Drummond. Philadelphia shot 44-of-102 from the field and held Dallas to just 17 fourth-quarter points.
Dallas was led by 24 points apiece from Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis. Flagg, who turns 19 on Sunday, entered the game second among rookies in scoring and rebounding and drew reactions from the crowd with several creative drives and finishes.
Flagg tied the game at 104 with 8:56 remaining on a short jumper, but the Mavericks were unable to respond once Philadelphia tightened defensively. Maxey capped the decisive run with a three-pointer that extended the lead to 115-104 with 6:30 left.
Davis played through illness and finished with 14 rebounds, while Klay Thompson, listed as questionable due to left knee soreness, added 10 points off the bench. Dallas shot just 3-of-18 from three-point range, a key factor in the loss.
The Mavericks fell to 11-18 and will look to rebound Monday night at New Orleans. Philadelphia returns home Tuesday to host the Brooklyn Nets as it continues to navigate the schedule without Embiid.
