Scene Setter:
There’s no place like home — especially when you’re 16-3 playing there.
Fresh off a marathon road trip that ended with back-to-back wins, the 76ers (25-14) return to The Center Saturday to host the Dallas Mavericks (18-20) in what marks the Sixers’ first home game of 2019.
Saturday’s contest will begin a six-game stretch in which the squad appears in South Philadelphia four times.
Currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, Brett Brown believes his team is still improving, and is eager to see its continued growth.
“That is not a negative,” Brown said. “That is a level of excitement there.”
And there was no shortage of excitement in his team’s most recent wins – against the LA Clippers, and Phoenix Suns.
The Sixers came out hot their last two games, posting 40-plus point first quarters and 70-plus point first halves in each contest.
On an individual level, Joel Embiid has been dominant, scoring 20-plus points and grabbing 10-plus boards in each of his last six games, en route to leading the league with 33 double-doubles.
The progress of several other players, including Jonah Bolden and Furkan Korkmaz, has been encouraging, too. Korkmaz delivered one of the most important shots in Wednesday’s 132-127 victory at Phoenix, hitting a step back three in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win.
The month of January doesn’t figure to be an easy road for the Sixers, which in the weeks ahead are slated to play seven consecutive teams currently in the playoff picture.
Saturday’s meeting with the Mavs offers a chance to continue building momentum, as they proceed in this difficult stretch.
Opponent Outlook:
The Mavericks are led by rookie sensation Luka Doncic (19.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 5.0 apg), who leads all first-year players in points per game. Though the team has exceeded expectations this season, the Mavs fell to the Celtics 114-93 Friday night in Boston, and are now 3-17 on the road.
Follow Along:
- Audio: 97.5 FM The Fanatic / Sixers Radio Network
- Video: NBC Sports Philadelphia / NBC Sports MyTeams app