Sloppy ball security and squandered possessions cost Dallas. The Mavericks watched Philadelphia seize control with a decisive fourth-quarter surge, sealing their fate.
PHILADELPHIA — The Dallas Mavericks let opportunity slip away Saturday night in Philadelphia, undone by sloppy ball security and a failure to finish defensive possessions.
Philadelphia capitalized on 18 Dallas turnovers and 20 offensive rebounds to pull away late and beat the Mavericks 121-114, overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit with a decisive surge fueled by Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe.
Dallas attempted just 83 shots — 19 fewer than the 76ers — after repeatedly ending possessions without getting a look at the basket. The Mavericks briefly recovered after halftime and carried a six-point lead into the fourth quarter, but their offense stalled as Philadelphia seized control.
“Eighteen turnovers, you’re not going to win a basketball game like that,” Anthony Davis said. “Twenty offensive rebounds, you’re not going to win a basketball game like that.”
The Mavericks appeared poised to steal momentum when Cooper Flagg’s jumper tied the game at 104 with 8:56 remaining. Instead, the Sixers responded with an 11-0 run over the next two minutes, sparked by Maxey’s shot-making and Edgecombe’s aggressive attacks. Maxey capped the burst with a banked-in 3-pointer that put Philadelphia ahead 115-104 with 6:30 left.
Dallas never fully recovered.
The Mavericks shot 30.4 percent in the fourth quarter and went scoreless from beyond the arc, finishing 0-for-4 from three in the final 12 minutes. Philadelphia, meanwhile, hit four of its eight 3-point attempts in the quarter and outscored Dallas 30-17.
“We weren’t as secure with the ball,” coach Jason Kidd said. “They got 19 more shots than we did. On the road, you can’t win like that. And to add to it, we give up 20 offensive rebounds. We’ve got to be better.”
Dallas’ struggles extended beyond turnovers. The Mavericks hit a season-low 3-of-18 from 3-point range, limiting spacing and allowing Philadelphia to pack the paint late.
“We just didn’t make them,” Kidd said. “And we didn’t get enough of them. To shoot 18 threes is probably low for us. With the turnovers, you’re going to get less shots.”
Davis emphasized that shot selection, not volume alone, remains the priority.
“Shooting 18 threes is not going to get you wins in today’s NBA,” he said. “Not saying we’ve got to force them. We’ve got to take what the defense gives us.”
Despite the miscues, Dallas had chances late. The Mavericks cut the deficit to 119-114 with under 40 seconds remaining, but Philadelphia closed the game at the free-throw line.
Maxey finished with 38 points to lead all scorers, while Edgecombe added 26 as the 76ers improved to 16-11 and won for the sixth time in eight games. Philadelphia played without Joel Embiid, Paul George and Kelly Oubre, all sidelined.
Cooper Flagg and Davis each scored 24 points for Dallas. Davis also grabbed 14 rebounds, while Flagg continued to show poise against heavy defensive attention. Flagg said the Mavericks understood where the game turned.
“A lot of it was self-inflicted,” Flagg said. “But you’ve got to give them credit for speeding us up and making us uncomfortable. We can clean a lot of that up.”
The loss dropped Dallas to 11-18 and marked its second defeat in three games following a brief stretch of improved play. The Mavericks now face a demanding stretch ahead, opening a back-to-back Monday night at New Orleans before returning home Tuesday to face Denver.
Saturday’s formula was clear. Extra possessions, missed opportunities and late execution tilted the game toward Philadelphia, leaving Dallas with little margin for error — and even less time to dwell on it.