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Fansided

Sixers Go Into Dallas Without Two Key Pieces

By George Kondoleon

Jan 30, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban during the second quarter of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban during the second quarter of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Sixers will take on the Dallas Mavericks tonight without two key players, but can they once again pull off a win?

The Dallas Mavericks started the season as bottom feeders, but like the Sixers, they have caught fire last few weeks. The Mavericks are 18-30 on the season, but have won seven of their last 10 games. Sparked by big offseason signing, Harrison Barnes, the Mavericks look to clash against the hot Sixers.

The Sixers have found ways to win even with their star Joel Embiid out with injury. Backed by the play of defensive studs TJ McConnell, Robert Covignton, and Nerlens Noel, the Sixers have energized Philadelphia the past few games towards late-game victories.

Into Wednesday night’s matchup, however, the Sixers see themselves without both Embiid and Covington. This could place either Gerald Henderson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, or Dario Saric in the starting lineup, matching up against Wesley Matthews.

Saric at the small forward position would give the Sixers a big lineup, but matching up against Dallas’ “small-ball” may not be the most effective time to implement it. Luwawu-Cabarrot has found himself in a scoring hot streak, and testing his prowess against Wesley Matthews could give an opportunity to see if he can hold his own against an able scorer. Henderson will most likely get the start, as he’s proven to be a reliable fill-in at virtually any role.

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Jahlil Okafor will get the start at center tonight, matching up against future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki. Okafor’s last start was a decent one in the win against Sacramento. He dropped 15 points with four rebounds in 21 minutes. Head coach Brett Brown deferred to Nerlens Noel late in the game, whose play has led the Sixers to victory on multiple occasions. Expect this trend to continue unless Okafor shows his scoring ability in a high impact way.

The Sixers must take advantage of the boards early on, even with shaky rebounders in Okafor and Ilysova starting the game. They also must attack the inside early, as Nowitzki’s defense is a continued weakness. The bench play will have to be led by Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric, players who are starter-quality players.

Prediction: Sixers 96-Mavericks 92

The game will most likely see a large amount of turnovers in the first half of the game. It’s been a common trend in recent Sixers games. The Mavericks will hold a lead at half, but a second half scoring surge from the outside will ultimately place Philadelphia at the top.

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Player of the Game: Dario Saric

Saric is getting tougher and tougher to hide with his recent play. Saric will again provide a huge spark off the bench, recording an 18-point, seven rebound performance. His knack to make impactful defensive plays will once again show through, and with Harrison Barnes manning the power forward position for a large chunk of the game, expect Saric to find himself in important defensive situations.