The Philadelphia 76ers remain on top of the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers handled the Dallas Mavericks comfortably to run out 111-97 winners.
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid were dominant and 46 points off the bench led by Dwight Howard's 14 ensured Philadelphia were able to cruise in the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia are now 22-11 on the season and an impressive 14-2 at home.
.@sixers improve to 14-2 at home this season with win over @dallasmavs. They have the best home record in the East and second-best in the @NBA.
— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) February 26, 2021
Team forced season-high 22 turnovers while committing a season-low seven.
h/t @nbastats
Ben Simmons continues career-best form
In some circles the inclusion of Ben Simmons on the Eastern Conference All-Star squad was in question. The reality is that on recent form, the Sixers guard was an absolute lock.
Prior to tonight's game against Dallas, the Australian star was averaging 21.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists across eight appearances in February.
The efficient month continued against the Mavericks, with Simmons tallying 15 points and seven assists on 6-for-11 from the field.
With some authority. pic.twitter.com/OS1j3NhSiE
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 26, 2021
Simmons' career-best scoring average came during the 2018-19 season, where he contributed 16.9 points per outing. With improved shooting on the Philadelphia roster, Simmons is finding increased space to operate on offence, and after a slowish start by his standards, the chemistry is starting to result in scary output for rival contenders in the conference.
Seth Curry wins battle of revenge games
One of the underrated moves on NBA Draft night was a trade of vital role players between Dallas and Philadelphia.
Seth Curry and Josh Richardson traded places in a classic swap of role players that on paper seemed to make sense for both parties.
On this night it was Curry who tormented his old squad, with the sharpshooter drilling all three of his attempts from the outside on his way to 15 points.
.@sdotcurry doing @sdotcurry things. pic.twitter.com/lR8lh0cT7m
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 26, 2021
Ranked seventh among players to have taken at least 100 3-point attempts on the season, Curry was connecting on 45.6 percent of his tries prior to tonight's game.
With Joel Embiid in MVP form and Ben Simmons a terror in transition, Curry is thriving in the Philadelphia offence that sits 13th league wide for efficiency as the team continues to iron out the wrinkles.
Sixers suffocate Mavs
The Philadelphia offence might not be firing at it's full potential yet, but it's on the other end of the floor where Doc Rivers' squad is truly terrifying.
Fifth in the league for defensive efficiency, the Sixers are anchored by Embiid and Simmons who should both be in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year honours.
Primarily guarded by Simmons, Doncic was unable to carve out his usual influence on the game, finishing with just 19 points and four assists.
Unlike most teams in the league, Simmons provides the Sixers with a defender that matches the size and strength of Doncic on the perimeter, preventing the Mavericks star from easily navigating his way into the paint to score or facilitate.
With Embiid patrolling the paint and Danny Green and Matisse Thybulle on the wings, the Sixers made life difficult at every turn for the heartbeat of the Dallas attack.
Harris exits early
Considered an All-Star snub by some, there is no denying Tobias Harris is having a big season for the Sixers.
Averaging 20.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, it's been an impressive start for Harris under his former coach with the LA Clippers.
Harris did leave tonight's game early with a knee contusion, registering just six points in 22 minutes.
The team and Harris will be hoping this is just a minor complaint heading into the All-Star break next week.
What's next?
Both teams will have a day off, with Philadelphia then hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Mavericks tough road trip continues in Brooklyn.
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