Mavericks 129, 76ers 103
DALLAS -- Nothing like the Philadelphia 76ers coming to town to put the Dallas Mavericks back in a good place.
Power forward Dirk Nowitzki hit another milestone in the Mavericks' relatively stress-free 129-103 victory over the Sixers on Sunday night at American Airlines Center.
Dallas (30-27) posted its highest point total and enjoyed its largest margin of victory of the season.
Nowitzki eclipsed the 29,000-career point plateau with a 3-pointer early in the third quarter. The league's sixth all-time leader scorer needed 10 points coming into the game and ended up with 18, hitting five from beyond the arc.
Nowitzki's night overshadowed a special performance from Philadelphia rookie center Jahlil Okafor. The third pick in last summer's draft scored a career-best 31 on 12-of-19 shooting and added eight rebounds.
Dallas opened a season-high, six-game homestand with only its second win in seven games. This stretch, which includes nine of 10 at home, should go a long way to determining the Mavs' playoff chances.
The recent struggles have dropped Dallas to near the bottom of the tight Western Conference postseason race.
The playoffs have long been an afterthought for the 8-47 Sixers, but the league's worst team has been considerably more competitive since a 1-30 start.
The frontcourt combo of Okafor and power forward Nerlens Noel, plus the addition point guard Ish Smith, have led to a measure of optimism that the long rebuilding process is finally on the right track.
That certainly appeared to be the case early against Dallas, as Okafor was unstoppable in the first quarter on his way to 18 points and a 30-28 Philadelphia lead.
The Mavs reversed course in the second period and took a 66-54 advantage into the locker room. It was the most points for Dallas in a half this season.
The Mavericks continued to roll in the second half and were able to empty the bench in the fourth quarter as the lead surpassed 20.
Dallas shooting guard Wesley Matthews led six teammates in double figures with 21 points. Point guard Deron Williams had 15 points and eight assists, with small forward Chandler Parsons also scoring 15.
Small forward Robert Covington scored 14 in Philadelphia's fourth straight loss. Noel had only four points and five boards in 19 minutes, while Smith had three points on 1-of-7 shooting.
Dallas is off until Wednesday when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit, while Philadelphia returns home Tuesday to face the Orlando Magic.
NOTES: Dallas is expected to sign F David Lee on Monday, according to multiple reports. Lee was bought out by Boston on Friday. ... The three-team trade last week in which the 76ers picked up C Joel Anthony is on hold because PF Donatas Motiejunas, going from Houston to Detroit, hasn't been cleared to play due to back issues. The teams agreed on an extension through Monday to complete the deal. Philadelphia also gets a second-round pick if the trade goes through. ... Dallas PG Deron Williams (calf) was cleared to play despite being listed as questionable. ... The Mavericks recalled F Jeremy Evans and G Justin Anderson from the D-League Texas Legends.