Player grades: Joel Embiid leads Sixers past Luka Doncic, Mavericks

PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers returned home to host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday to begin a 3-game homestand looking to build momentum going forward. They entered the night just 19-15 at home so this was an opportunity to build something at home and get on track at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Mavericks, led by superstar Luka Doncic, gave the Sixers all they could handle early as they were getting contributions from Jalen Brunson and others in order to take an early lead, but the Sixers were able to get it together and come away with a 111-101 victory over the Mavs. The Sixers held Doncic to 5-for-20 shooting and 2-for-10 from deep for his 17 points.

Joel Embiid had himself another big night as he had 32 points and eight rebounds to lead the way for the Sixers, James Harden had 24, seven rebounds, and 13 assists, Tobias Harris had 14, Tyrese Maxey added eight, and Matisse Thybulle chipped in with 10 points and two steals. Georges Niang added 12 and DeAndre Jordan had eight points and seven rebounds.

Here are the player grades following the win:

James Harden: A

It was another slow start for Harden in terms of his scoring, but he is so dynamic with the ball that he is able to make an impact out there until he gets going on the offensive end. He took his defender off the dribble for his first bucket and then drilled a step-back triple in the second quarter. He also had to defend Doncic after Thybulle picked up three fouls and he wasn’t awful against the Dallas superstar. Doncic is not particularly fast so this was a good matchup for him on defense. In the fourth quarter, Harden found it again as he took over in terms of his scoring. He had a couple of step-back triples and some tough buckets while helping the Sixers close this one out.

Tyrese Maxey: C+

In order to get Philadelphia off to a good start on the offensive end, Maxey was aggressive getting into the paint and from deep. He is still figuring out how to best balance looking for his own offense while also deferring to the stars, but the Sixers would have the aggressive Maxey that he showed early in this one. He couldn’t keep it going, however, and he gets points taken off for that.

Matisse Thybulle: B+

The good sign for Thybulle early in this game was his movement off the ball. As the Mavericks went to a zone defense, Thybulle did a good job of cutting into the paint and finding the holes in order to make an impact on the offensive end. On the flip side, he also passed up an open look at the rim which is strange. He also knocked down two 3-pointers which is something the Sixers will take every time. Also, he is obviously a terrific defender, but Thybulle must be more disciplined on the defensive end in terms of his fouling. The Sixers need him out there more often to defend guys like Doncic.

Tobias Harris: B

This continued a recent trend for Harris as he was catching and shooting with no hesitation and he was shooting it with confidence out on the floor. As Harden and Embiid continue to figure out their chemistry, Harris has done a good job of stepping up and providing offense when the team needs it. He also continues to play well on the defensive end which is something the Sixers will continue to grow with.

Joel Embiid: A

It looked like the Dallas zone was bothering Embiid a bit early, but once he figured out that he’s bigger and more skilled than any big the Mavericks can throw at him, he went to work as he was getting to the free-throw line and knocking down his open looks. He had a stretch in the second quarter with the Mavericks up seven where he took matters into his own hands and he brought back the DX chop thrust celebration on an And-1. He also had a big slam as the big fella took the game over a bit.

Georges Niang: A-

Maybe Niang is beginning to feel heavy legs, but it has been tough for him on the offensive end recently. He didn’t have the same lift on his jumper in the first half and because he is not great on the defensive end, it can be tough to play him when the shots aren’t falling. In the second half, he made a huge impact when he knocked down three 3s in the third quarter and another in the fourth to give Philadelphia some separation.

DeAndre Jordan: B

The initial Jordan minutes weren’t great. He struggled on the defensive end and he looked like he was out of it on the offensive end. He couldn’t throw down a slam and he was called for a moving screen that wiped out a Maxey triple. He was much better in the second half as he served a lob threat to Harden and he was big on the glass as well. He also had a block. The difference in play between the two halves was stark.

Danny Green: C+

An interesting developing storyline to look out for in these final weeks before the playoffs is Green finding a bit of a groove. He knocked down his first triple of the night off a transition look from Harden after knocking down two 3s in the previous game and if he can get going from deep off the bench, that would be huge for Philadelphia. He had some good looks after it, however, but he couldn’t knock them down. The Sixers need the 2020-21 version of Green to reappear.

Shake Milton: D

The Milton minutes haven’t been great recently and Friday was no different. The thing is, he isn’t even really getting any shot opportunities and that’s something that has to change in order to get some bench production for the Sixers.

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