76ers at Mavericks
It no longer matters if star rookie Joel Embiid is in the lineup, the Philadelphia 76ers believe they can win no matter who is on the court. Embiid is dealing with a left knee contusion and is not expected to join the 76ers on their two-game road trip this week, which begins with a visit to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.
Philadelphia allowed DeMarcus Cousins to go off for 46 points on Monday without Embiid around to help on the defensive end but still managed to pull out a 122-119 triumph over the Sacramento Kings to mark its 11th win in the last 16 games and third in the last four without Embiid. "I think one of the things I'm most proud of with the 10-5 record in the month of January is that it was done in a lot of different ways," 76ers coach Brett Brown told reporters. "We were able to win with a bunch of different people with a bunch of different lineups in some different ways. I think it was truly a team month. I thought the contributions from the team were strong." The Mavericks are enjoying a similar rise and pulled off one of the most impressive two-game stretches on the NBA calendar with a win at San Antonio on Sunday and a 104-97 home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. "It’s two really gritty performances," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. "You know, (Sunday) we got down 15 in the first half, and we really had to claw back. (Monday), we were playing even or in front most of the night. You know, they made runs, and we had answers. So, it was a great two nights, and I’m really happy for the guys."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE 76ERS (18-29): Embiid publicly declared Philadelphia a playoff contender early in January, and the rest of the team is buying into that claim. "We always talk about getting greedy," shooting guard Nik Stauskas told the team's website. "We want to be as perfect as we can possibly be. It’s a goal for us just being able to win (Monday's) game, because even at the beginning of this year, we would seem to lose those kinds of games. The fact that we were able to hold on is great." Stauskas scored 16 points in Monday's triumph and is 7-of-12 from 3-point range in the last two games.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (18-30): Dallas was without starting point guard Deron Williams (toe) in each of the last three games but is getting a lift in the backcourt from Seth Curry and recently-signed Yogi Ferrell. Ferrell was plucked out of the D-League over the weekend and started the last two games, logging an average of 37 minutes at the point guard spot and averaging 14 points, five assists and three steals. "I'm just going out there and trying to make plays for my team," Ferrell told reporters. "I'm just going in there with confidence. My teammates are giving me confidence to go out there, and I'm just being aggressive and trying to attack. I'm just making the game simple."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. 76ers rookie PF Dario Saric scored in double figures in four of the last five games after scoring 10 or more only three times in the first 10 games of January.
2. Mavericks SF Harrison Barnes recorded 24 points and 11 rebounds on Monday for his first double-double since Nov. 4.
3. Dallas took the last seven in the series, including the last two at home by an average of 39.5 points.