Mavericks at 76ers
THE STORY: The Philadelphia 76ers have utilized scoring balance and depth to rise among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The Dallas Mavericks could be struggling in both those departments when they visit the Sixers on Friday night. Dallas will have to overcome an injury-ravaged backcourt as it seeks to extend its winning streak to six games. The reigning NBA champs will be without three guards, putting additional pressure on aging veterans Jason Kidd, 38, and Vince Carter, 35.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSP
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (19-11): Sixth man extraordinaire Jason Terry and Roddy Beaubois had already been ruled out of Friday’s game for personal reasons, and Dallas took another hit when guard Delonte West fractured and dislocated his right ring finger in Wednesday’s win over Denver. Forward Lamar Odom helped picked up the slack by scoring 14 points against the Nuggets – his highest output in 10 games. Last season’s Sixth Man of the Year, Odom has averaged 14.4 points in 21 career games against the Sixers.
ABOUT THE 76ERS (20-10): Philadelphia’s bid for a perfect 3-0 road trip was buried by a hail of 3-pointers in a loss at Orlando on Wednesday. The Sixers also received more bad news regarding center Spencer Hawes, who is being sent to a specialist for his strained Achilles tendon. Hawes has missed five straight games and 15 of the last 17, leaving rookies Lavoy Allen and Nikola Vucevic to man the pivot. Allen has started the last three games and scored a total of four points.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Dallas has won five of six and eight of the last 10 meetings with Philadelphia.
2. The Sixers are 12-2 with Hawes in the lineup and 8-7 without him.