Shock of the night in the NBA, the match between the Mavs and the Sixers will have met all expectations with the victory of Dallas (133-126), carried by its star duo: Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
For the house stats of this match, it’s right here.
The stars make the entrance show
With Joel Embiid and James Harden against the pair Luka Doncic – Kyrie Irving, we had something to make our mouths water and the All-Stars lived up to their reputation by attacking the meeting with a bang. The baskets follow one another, the attacks clearly take precedence over the defenses. James Harden (15 points, 7 assists) and Luka Doncic (17 points) are unstoppable at the start of the match. With the passage of the Slovenian on the bench and the first rotations, Kyrie Irving decides to take matters into his own hands. Uncle Drew almost stands up to the Sixers single-handedly. On the Philly side, it’s De’Anthony Melton who shows the tip of his nose with a big passage to answer Mister flat ground. The return of the incumbents gives rise to a beautiful duel from a distance between a decidedly unplayable Luka Doncic and a Joel Embiid who is gaining momentum. At the break, Dallas has the lead but Philly is on the heels and does not let go. (71-67)
The Mavs are on fire, Philly KO standing
A little speech from the coaches and here we go again for a good big dose of shaking strings. Far from being satisfied, Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic resume their work in attack. On fire at 3-pointers (52%!), Dallas unrolls while Philly completely misses its recovery. The gap climbs quickly despite the efforts of Joel Embiid to save the furniture. Philly has taken a hit on the head and the shooting frenzy takes hold of all the Mavs. Stars draw defense and shrewdly stagger their open buddies. Reggie Bullock feasts, the Sixers are in hell. At the rate things are going, we’re headed straight for a blowout.
Tyrese Maxey sounds Sixers revolt, Doncic and Irving finish the job
Back to the wall, the Sixers will find in Tyrese Maxey a providential savior. A native of Dallas, and under the eyes of his parents in the stands, the combo guard will set fire to the Mavs defense. The Texans cross a big zone of turbulence and cash a 15-0 in less than 3 minutes! The match is totally restarted but not for long.
Kyrie Irving breathes new life into Dallas, soon imitated by a Luka who has just returned to the field. The two bosses of the Mavs put their foot back on the accelerator. Philly is dropped but does not abdicate. Joel Embiid and James Harden put up a small 10-0 to come back to 5 points with 30 seconds remaining and give some chills to the fans. Uncle Drew delivers the finishing blow on the free throw line. Game Over.
Luka and Kyrie went OFF in the Mavs W 🔥
Luka: 42 PTS, 4 REB, 12 AST, 7 3PM
Kyrie: 40 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST, 6 3PMThe first pair of teammates in Mavs history to drop 40+ PTS in the same game. pic.twitter.com/XBXWeT4WzP
— NBA (@NBA) March 3, 2023
Big win for the Mavs against a title contender and above all a real breath of fresh air after a few last terrible results. Above all, we saw last night the firepower that Dallas could present when its two stars are in good shape at the same time. Luka Doncic (42 points, 12 assists, 13/22 shooting, 7/13 from afar) and Kyrie Irving (40 points, 6 assists, 15/22 shooting, 6/8 at 3-points) signed a masterclass and their heat stroke infected the whole group. It’s the first time in history that two Mavs have scored 40 points in the same game. Given the talent of the two guys, it will probably not be the last.
