VJ Edgecombe keeps ascending as Tyrese Maxey carried the Sixers late in 121-114 win over Mavericks
The Sixers keep doing this thing where they make games harder than they need to be, flirt with disaster, then flip a switch late and remind you why they’re dangerous. Saturday night against the Mavericks was another perfect example.
After yet another brutal third quarter, the Sixers slammed the door in the fourth, pulling away for a 121–114 win that felt both exhausting and impressive at the same time.
Tyrese Maxey was the engine, the closer, and the tone-setter. He finished with 38 points and completely took over when the game mattered most, scoring 16 in the fourth quarter alone.
The Mavericks had no answers for his speed, his shot-making, or the gravity he creates just by existing on the floor. At this point, Maxey dropping 35-plus feels routine, which says everything about how far he’s come.
The Sixers needed him badly in this one, especially with Joel Embiid, Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., and others sidelined, and he delivered without hesitation.
VJ Edgecombe continues to look like a problem for the rest of the league.
The rookie poured in 26 points and extended his streak of 20-point games to four straight, but it wasn’t just the scoring. His confidence with the ball, especially pulling up off the dribble, keeps growing.
That was the biggest question mark in his offensive profile coming into the league, and lately it’s starting to look like a weapon. Edgecombe plays with a calm that doesn’t match his age, and the Maxey-Edgecombe pairing is starting to feel like something the Sixers can build around for a long time.
Dominick Barlow quietly had the best offensive night of his career, finishing with 21 points and attacking Dallas off the dribble whenever the opportunity presented itself. Barlow has carved out his role through defense, energy, and rebounding, but this was a reminder that he can punish teams that overplay Maxey and lose discipline.
Dallas did exactly that, and Barlow made them pay early before the Sixers leaned into their closing lineup. Of course, no Sixers win is complete without a third-quarter meltdown. The Mavs came out of halftime with more energy, torching Philadelphia’s defense and erasing a halftime lead in minutes.
This crew continues to be one of the worst third-quarter teams in the league, and Saturday night was particularly frustrating because it wasn’t fueled by turnovers or poor rebounding. It was just bad defense and slow rotations, especially in the middle.
Andre Drummond struggled mightily during that stretch, and Nick Nurse ultimately pivoted away from him late.
That decision paid off. Nurse rode the same group for the entire fourth quarter, and the Sixers responded with one of their best closing stretches of the season. The pace picked up, the defense tightened, and Dallas simply ran out of answers.
The Mavericks’ lack of three-point shooting made any comeback attempt feel desperate, and once Maxey buried a pull-up three to push the lead to double digits, the game was effectively over.
Adem Bona gave the Sixers some real minutes, showing why the team still believes in his long-term upside. He altered shots, ran the floor, and gave Philadelphia athleticism Drummond couldn’t match, even if the rebounding issues remain.
The Sixers need Bona to keep progressing, not just for this season but for what comes next at backup center.
The win pushed the Sixers to 16–11 and marked their sixth victory in eight games
That’s despite being shorthanded and still glaringly flawed. The third-quarter issues aren’t going away overnight, and the rotation is still a work in progress, but the backcourt is real.
Maxey is playing at an All-NBA level, Edgecombe is accelerating fast, and the supporting pieces are finding ways to contribute.
It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t comfortable. But when the lights were brightest, the Sixers were the tougher, smarter, and better team. Right now, that’s enough.
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