Following a 5-game winning streak, The Dallas Mavericks have lost 3 of their last 4 games. The Philadelphia 76ers came into the American Airlines Center and took care of business on the road, with a 113-95 win over the Mavs.
Joel Embiid, whom I think is overrated, proved me wrong and looked spectacular. In 26 minutes of playing time, Embiid posted:
- 36 points
- 10/17 FG
- 2/3 3-PT
- 14/15 FT
- 7 rebounds
The Mavericks tried everything guarding the big man. Every Mavs player over 6’9 had a chance to slow down Embiid, even Boban Marjanovic saw extended minutes to eventually get burned by him.
Aside from the Sixers’ superstar, Philly’s bench played a huge role in the win last night. The bench unit scored 45 points, led by 20 points from Turkish guard, Furkan Korkmaz.
Star of the Game
While Luka Doncic scored 32 points in the Mavs’ loss, last night was all about Joel Embiid.
Embiid’s biggest downfall in past playoff runs, is inconsistency and fatigue. That’s why I think he’s a little overrated. He gets too winded being as big as he is, and it shows in his play. The 1 seed may look cute in the standings during the regular season, but look out for the Sixers to get upset after the first round this year.
Biggest Concern
Consistency.
The Mavs looked comfortable after that 5-game win streak, and that’s exactly what will get you burned in this league. Although Kristaps Porzingis sat out last night (rest), shooting 9/36 (25%) from 3 as a team isn’t going to win you games against top teams.
Wednesday’s game in Memphis against the Grizzlies will tell you a lot about what this team is this season.
Surprise Contribution
JJ Redick finally made his debut with the Mavs, against his former team. In 14 minutes, Redick scored 4 points on 1/7 shooting.
While it wasn’t necessarily a contribution, Dallas will need JJ’s veteran basketball IQ come playoff time. He has seen everything in this league, and his experience could benefit young players on this Mavs team.
Next Game
Wednesday, April 14 @ Grizzlies 8:30pm CT
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