Inside Report: Mavericks-76ers preview — Two of NBA's hottest teams collide in Philly

Earl K. Sneed reports from Philly, where the Mavericks put their six-game winning streak on the line against the Sixers, who have won four straight.

PHILADELPHIA — If the Mavericks are to notch a seventh straight win Tuesday night when they enter the Wells Fargo Center, then it may once again take a collective effort from everyone on the team’s 12-man roster.

The Mavericks (43-16) head into their matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers after Dallas’ biggest comeback of the season, overcoming a 19-point deficit in the first quarter of Sunday’s 114-96 win over the Toronto Raptors. In the victory, leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki was the only starter to score in double figures, finishing with 31 points and 13 rebounds. But behind a strong contribution from the Dallas reserves, led by Shawn Marion and Jason Terry, the Mavs battled back from their early disadvantage, finishing with a 64-25 margin in bench scoring with four second-stringers reaching double figures.

Tuesday night, the Mavericks may once again have to rely on the play of their bench, facing a Philly team that has won four straight.

“I thought our bench really saved us,” Nowitzki said after the Mavs’ 16th win in the last 17 games. “Some nights the starting five just doesn’t have it for whatever reason — fatigue or no rhythm, whatever. But our bench was phenomenal. It really changed the game when ‘Trix [Marion] and JET [Terry] came in. (Ian) Mahinmi was great all night long and J.J. (Barea) did what he’s been doing. So, the bench really won us the game.”

Marion led the offensive charge of the bench, scoring 20 points, while Terry pitched in 19 of his own. And with the first unit struggling, falling behind 22-3 from the opening tip, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle credited Marion as the X-factor in the victory.

But the four-time All-Star says that each player knows that his number could be called on any given night to lead the Mavs to victory lane. And Sunday evening was just the latest time that Carlisle was able to call on No. 0.

“We’ve got guys that can step up and have a big night any night for this team. And that’s the great makeup of this team,” Marion explained.

Two nights later, however, the Mavericks will try to get off to a better start. But if they don’t, point guard Jason Kidd says that the team’s veteran core will not panic, believing that the squad’s experience can overcome tough stretches. And it’s that experience that was on full display against the Raptors, when the team’s resolve showed, as the Mavericks remained confident despite finding themselves in the early double-digit hole.

“Nobody panicked, nobody had their heads down. We had some great looks that didn’t go down. The unfortunate thing is we didn’t play any defense for the first five minutes, and so they scored and we didn’t and we find ourselves in a hole,” Kidd explained.

“These guys know where it’s at,” Carlisle added. “They’re experienced enough and veteran enough to know that if you come out and aren’t ready to play at a high level, you’re gonna get your face smashed in. And that’s what happened to us early. We took the hit and we fought back. And some nights, that’s how you’ve got to win.”

The coach also knows that the Mavericks may have their work cut out for them Tuesday evening, facing a 76ers team that will be looking to avenge a 99-90 loss in Dallas on Nov. 12. And it may once again take a strong contribution from each Maverick in order to end a perfect road trip at 3-0, as they try to storm past the Sixers (30-29) in the hostile Philly arena.

And with his team tied with San Antonio for the best road record in the NBA at 21-8, Terry says that the Mavericks are up for the challenge and they intend to prove it yet again, even despite Philadelphia’s 19-9 mark at home.

“Philly is playing well, so our mission is set,” Terry said. “We want to continue to play well on the road, and I don’t see why we can’t get it done now.”

Note: The Mavs wrap up their road trip in Philly on Tuesday evening, in a game will tip off at 6 p.m. CT, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

The team will return to Dallas and host the Indiana Pacers on Friday, looking to avenge a 102-89 road loss on Jan. 12. That game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT, airing locally on Fox Sports Southwest. Great seats are still available and tickets can be purchased by visiting the American Airlines Center box office, logging on to Mavs.com or by calling 214-747-MAVS (6287).

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