![]() ![]() He was clearly the reason Philly competed so hard without Embiid, and it was a welcomed sight considering Maxey hasn’t started since Jan. Doc Rivers decided to start Tyrese Maxey in his place against Miami, only to watch his young guard score 27 points in 38 minutes on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. ![]() With that in mind, the real lineup news we should be talking about here has less to do with Embiid and more to do with his replacement. The team is taking its time to release its injury report, and it’s entirely possible we won’t know until game time, which is when Embiid was scratched for the Miami game. ![]() It shouldn’t be too difficult to slow down the Sixers offense in theory if Embiid is out, but that may be easier said than done for the struggling Mavs.The Sixers were without Joel Embiid in a 119-96 win over the Heat on Wednesday, and as is often the case with the big man, it’s anyone’s guess as to his status for Thursday. The guard has led the team in scoring in four straight games, averaging 32.5 points over that span, yet Dallas has picked up just one victory.ĭefense has been a major issue of late as the Mavericks are surrendering 121.6 points per game through their last five contests. The Mavs are in a tough situation where they can’t seem to string together any wins even despite some heroic efforts from Doncic. If they can home in against the Mavericks, they’ll have a great shot at the upset. The 76ers have also been excellent defensively of late, allowing just 103 points per game over their last four. Maxey and Harden will certainly need to lead the way offensively again, but getting help from Tobias Harris and some others off the bench will also be crucial to keeping up with Doncic and the Mavs. That said, Philadelphia still managed to score 119 on Wednesday against an elite defensive squad without their all-star thanks to contributions throughout the lineup. The 76ers will certainly be in tough if they’re missing Embiid, who generates about 30 percent of the team’s offense when he’s in the lineup. The Mavs are giving up 121.6 points per game over their last five contests – a number that even Doncic and Irving can’t outscore. While Irving has produced, averaging 24.7 points since the trade, Dallas’ defense has fallen apart. Things haven’t quite meshed in Dallas since the acquisition of Irving with the Mavericks going 1-5 over their last six contests. Kyrie Irving finished as Dallas’ second-highest scorer with just 16 points in the loss. The Mavs dropped their second straight game on Tuesday, falling 124-122 to the Indiana Pacers despite a 39-point effort from Luka Doncic. Maxey has scored 50 points over his last two contests and will need to keep that momentum going as Philly’s star center remains questionable for tonight. Maxey has a habit of elevating his play in an increased role and we saw him do just that on Wednesday as Embiid sat out with a foot issue that’s plagued him for most of the season. The Sixers picked up a 119-96 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday without Embiid as Tyrese Maxey (27 points) and James Harden (23 points) picked up the slack without their leading scorer. The total was set at 231 points with the UNDER going 5-0 in the last five meetings between the two teams. The Mavs opened as the 2.5-point favorite at home and their edge slid up to 3.5 points through Wednesday night with the news that Joel Embiid is a question mark to play. Philadelphia will aim for its second win in two nights while Dallas tries to snap a two-game skid. The Philadelphia 76ers (40-21 SU, 36-25 ATS) head to American Airlines Center on Thursday to take on the Dallas Mavericks (32-31, 22-38-3).
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