Player grades: Tobias Harris leads Sixers to road win over Mavericks

The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday for a matinee to begin a quick two-game road trip. The Sixers entered the contest looking to build off their win over the Charlotte Hornets and continue to try and pick off some wins.

Taking on the vaunted duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the Mavericks, the Sixers did a solid job of containing the supporting cast and they walked away with a 120-116 victory. It was an impressive effort for everybody involved as Philadelphia received 28 points and five rebounds out of Tobias Harris who was tough to stop all day long.

Tyrese Maxey added 24 points, Paul Reed had 13 and seven boards off the bench, and Buddy Hield added 11. Kelly Oubre Jr. was fantastic in the second half and had 21 points and five rebounds off the bench, Mo Bamba had eight points and five rebounds, and Kyle Lowry added eight and seven assists. Nic Batum added seven points and 11 rebounds.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Getting another start, the Sixers continued to look much more organized with Lowry leading the way. He did a great job again of getting the team organized and into their offensive sets. Even in the slow start, the Sixers were getting excellent looks that just weren’t dropping. He wasn’t looking for his own offense too much, but wanted to make sure Philadelphia got going. When he did get his opportunities, he didn’t have a great day shooting the ball, but he did make some big ones in the second half.

The Sixers got off to a tough start in this one trailing 11-0 early. Coach Nick Nurse called timeout and Maxey then looked like he was shot out of a cannon. He was much more aggressive attacking the paint and the Mavericks really didn’t have an answer for him. He is too quick with the basketball and he used that to his advantage in this one. He suffered a head injury in the third quarter and had to walk back to the locker room for a bit, but he did come back out. It looked a bit scary when it happened, but he was able to shake it off.

The Sixers got Hield involved early as he knocked down a couple of triples off movement to get Philadelphia started on the offensive end. Overall, he didn’t have the most efficient day shooting the ball, but his movement off the ball was impressive and the Mavericks had to pay attention to him. He also ended up converting on some tough looks to help the Sixers keep the Mavericks at bay.

After a strong night against the Hornets on Friday, Harris had a slow start, but he really found his groove as the game went on. As is always the case with him, he is a rhythm player who lets his offense come to him within the flow of the offense. He made some big shots all day long and was a leader for Philadelphia in this one. On the other end, his defensive effort on Doncic was solid. He gave a terrific effort on that end and gave Dallas’s superstar everything he could handle when he was on the floor. Doncic got his points against other defenders. This is now two straight terrific Harris games which is a great sign for the Sixers.

Getting another start, Bamba had a nice offensive day, but he had a tough time with the quickness and athleticism of Mavericks big man Derrick Lively II. Dallas had success in the pick-and-roll game to start as Doncic was able to get easy lobs to Lively for buckets. As the day went on, Bamba eventually was able to make an adjustment and give Philadelphia some rim protection and a lob threat on the offensive end.

Hopping off the bench in this one, Reed made an immediate impact. He was solid defensively against the big men Dallas employs, battled on the glass, and gave Philadelphia a real boost off the bench. He was fantastic in his minutes in this one on both ends. He finished well around the basket on offense and protected the rim well on the defensive end. The contributions he gave the Sixers in this one were fantastic.

The first half run for Oubre was tough for him. He missed all five of his shots and the Mavericks were able to get back into the game with him on the floor. After halftime he was fantastic. He saved the Sixers with his offensive game and essentially took the game over off the bench. That was encouraging to see for him after being a non-factor in the first half. As always, when he is able to get to the basket, that’s when he’s most efficient. That has to be his mindset out on the floor.

One can see Batum begin to get his legs back underneath him again. He entered the game off the bench and was moving well on the defensive end. He was racing for rebounds, he was active on the defensive end of the floor, and did a terrific job of helping the floor stay spaced on offense. He wasn’t able to convert on many of his open looks, but the Mavericks had to pay attention to him due to his overall ability.

Getting the defensive assignment on Doncic off the bench, Martin had a tough time staying with him. He was able to use his size and physicality with him, but Doncic just had his way. He didn’t get a look in the second half.