During the Thursday night NBA slate, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 133-126 behind 42 points from Luka Doncic and 40 points from Kyrie Irving.
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 35 points in his return to the court after missing their outing prior, which was a road win over the Miami Heat.
Doncic and Irving became the first Mavs teammates to score at least 40 points in the same game. In 30 years, they were the fifth pair of players on the same team to accomplish this feat. After scoring 20 points apiece in the first half, they combined for 45 in the second half, culminating in a 20-4 run to lead Dallas 91-71 at the half.
“Luka was ready for the party,” Irving said. “I was ready for the party tonight. It was one of those games where we had some special performances. I’m just grateful that the work translated because it could have gone either way.”
As Embiid and Harden watched from the bench in the fourth quarter, the 76ers scored 15 points to get within four, bringing Doncic back into the game. Doncic quickly got Dallas back on track by converting an and-1 followed by a deep 3-pointer, and Doncic hit another long shot to establish a 119-108 lead. Combined, they made 13 of 21 deep shots.
NBA SCORES & NEWS: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
“They were tough with one wizard with the basketball in Luka,” Sixers forward Tobias Harris said. “Now they’ve got two of them out there. Those are tough matchups. They just picked us apart tonight.”
It wasn’t just Irving and the All-Star starters, who won for the second time in six games together since Irving was acquired from Brooklyn in a blockbuster trade.
A season-high 25 3-pointers were made by Dallas on 48 attempts (52%). Six of those came from Irving, who assisted on several of them.
“Everybody they passed to made it,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. “You have nights like that, and they had a night like that tonight.”
NBA SCORES & NEWS: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks & Philadelphia 76ers Updates
After making five shots from the field, including three 3s and six free throws, Harden had 19 points and 10 assists at the end of the first half. He had six turnovers in the fourth quarter – while Dallas was rebuilding its lead – and eight points after the break.
Both Doncic and Irving showed off their superstar talent by making plays against Embiid guarding ball-screening actions. Whether it was pull-up 3s, or flashy finishes on drives, both superstars got it done. Combined, the two shot 28 of 44 from the field – each taking 22 shots, with Doncic going 9 of 11 from the free throw line.
“If I had to pay to watch someone play, it would be him for sure,” Doncic said. “Because some of those moves are incredible.”
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