The Philadelphia 76ers just put together their most cohesive win of the season on the road in Dallas to begin the 2026 calendar year. They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the Sixers put it all together for their biggest performance to date.
The Sixers have started a new recent trend of allowing their opponents to shoot the cover off the basketball in the first quarter but still somehow finding themselves within striking distance. The Mavs shot 65 percent in the first quarter but only took one three-point shot, which Klay Thompson made.
The early action for the Sixers was paced by Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid, who each scored seven points in the opening frame to offset the hot starts by the Mavs' Max Christie and rookie phenom Cooper Flagg, who both scored eight in the first. A nice Paul George gather and tricky layup at the buzzer set the score at 33-27 in favor of the Mavericks heading into the second quarter.
But the second quarter is where the Sixers began to find their groove. Tyrese Maxey left former Sixer Caleb Martin in the dust on a blow-by to the rim, and the run started from there on both ends of the floor.
The man the Sixers traded Martin for, Quentin Grimes, gave the Sixers the lead on a corner three that capped off a 10-0 run. Then Paul George started to take over, contributing eight points of his own in the second to help extend the Sixers' lead, including this beautiful one-handed dunk after blowing by Anthony Davis:
George would continue his strong play down the stretch of the first half, and solid contributions from Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe allowed the Sixers to keep the Mavs at arm's length as time dwindled down. Joel Embiid would also give Cooper Flagg a little "welcome to the league" moment, elevating to block him on the baseline.
The Sixers scored 41 points in the second quarter, and everyone played a role in a very complete first half for the Sixers. Maybe the most important revelation was how athletically comfortable and confident Joel Embiid looked on the floor as he continues to get further removed from his meniscus injury. He was moving around and rising up better than he has in basically two years, and he was a major reason why the Sixers entered halftime with a 68-57 lead.
The Sixers left that offensive harmony in the locker room before returning for the second half. The third quarter was a slog for the Sixers until Tyrese Maxey began to heat up late and stop the bleeding like he has so many times this season. He would score seven straight points for the team to help them maintain the lead they had built.
The Sixers' defensive efforts were still sound and effective. Their communication along the perimeter and discipline by the basket were some of the best they have been all season for a team that is finding its form the more time they get to play together at full strength. VJ Edgecombe, intent on showing who the best rookie on the floor is, levitated in the air and laid the ball in with under a second to play for his twentieth point of the night to put the Sixers up 92-83 at the end of the third.
Philly withstood offensive flurries from Naji Marshall and Brandon Williams to keep a comfortable lead into crunch time. The Mavs had one last burst in them, but VJ Edgecombe launched into the air to deliver a momentum-stopping block, and the Mavs would never score again. The Sixers would win by a final score of 123-108, sweeping the season series with Dallas.
It was an outstanding homecoming for some of the Sixers, too. Houston-born Quentin Grimes was huge off the bench with 19 points and three blocks. Baylor product VJ Edgecombe put up 23 points and four steals, continuing to dazzle in his rookie campaign. And, of course, Dallas-native Tyrese Maxey, with what is becoming a ho-hum 34 points, 10 assists, and eight boards, was again the best player on the court in what is now a full-fledged MVP campaign.
The Sixers finish up their five-game road trip on Saturday in New York to take on the Knicks, where the Sixers won just 13 days ago. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
