SUMMARY
- The Dallas Mavericks will face the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at the Wells Fargo Center.
- Both Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid are on the injury report for the game.
The Dallas Mavericks will face the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center tonight. Fans have been waiting for this fixture, mainly because of the superstars representing both teams. The Mavericks are coming off a loss in the last game against the Milwaukee Bucks, with a record of 26-23. Although they have shown glimpses of their best so far this season, Luka Doncic and Co. have struggled to build some winning momentum.
The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, are coming off a loss vs the Brooklyn Nets. The Sixers have been quite unfortunate to have some of their best players suffer some serious injuries. Similarly, the Mavs have been unlucky with injuries as well, as Luka Doncic is on the injury report, and Kyrie Irving’s appearance has been in question too.
Kyrie Irving is available to play for the Dallas Mavericks vs the Philadelphia 76ers tonight
Kyrie Irving has suffered some serious injuries in his career. But the superstar has been fortunate enough to avoid some major setbacks while playing for the Mavs so far. But that has not been the case with his teammate, Luka. Just like last season, the Slovenian guard has struggled to stay fit during the midseason period. He is on the Mavs’ injury report tonight with right ankle soreness.
Dallas Mavericks Injury Report vs. Philadelphia 76ers:
Kyrie Irving – probable (right thumb sprain)
Luka Doncic – questionable (right ankle soreness)
Maxi Kleber – questionable (right small toe dislocation)
Dante Exum – out (right knee bursitis)
Dereck Lively II – out (nasal…— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 4, 2024
Kyrie Irving is also on the injury report with a right thumb sprain but is probable to face the Sixers tonight. The Mavs will surely miss Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum for tonight and upcoming games. Kyrie’s appearance is confirmed, after the guard spoke to media earlier and mentioned that he will be returning to the floor.
Dallas Mavericks injury report
- Kyrie Irving (probable)
- Luka Doncic (questionable)
- Maxi Kleber (questionable)
- Dante Exum (out)
- Dereck Lively II (out)
Dallas Mavericks expected roster
- Kyrie Irving
- Grant Williams
- Josh Green
- Derrick Jones Jr.
- Tim Hardaway Jr.
Philadelphia 76ers injury report
- Joel Embiid (out)
- Nicolas Batum (out)
- Kenneth Lofton Jr. (out)
- De’Anthony Melton (out)
- Tobias Harris (questionable)
- Robert Covington (out)
Philadelphia 76ers expected roster
- Danuel House Jr.
- Tyrese Maxey
- Marcus Morris Sr.
- Paul Reed
- Kelly Oubre Jr.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, Joel Embiid has suffered a left meniscus injury, and is expected to undergo a procedure in the coming days. Along with their main man, the Sixers will also miss some of their role players for the game against the Mavs tonight.
Will the Mavericks capitalize on Joel Embiid’s absence?
Joel Embiid has always been a problem for the Texas-based franchise. In 9 games against them so far, the center is averaging 28.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. An interesting point to be noted is that he has never scored less than 20 points when facing the Mavs. The same cannot be said for Luka, who averages 25 points when facing the Sixers, but has put up less than 20 in the past.
With his appearance in question for tonight’s game, it sure looks like Kyrie will have to lead the charge. The point guard is averaging 25.2 points and 5.3 assists per game this year, but it looks like the Sixers might be too overpowered. Without Luka, the Mavericks might have a tough time on offense, and Kyrie’s playmaking will not be enough to get them past the finish line tonight.
Although Embiid’s injury will mean that the Sixers will miss a huge presence in the paint on both ends, but they boast an elite shooter on their roster, Tyrese Maxey. He has proven to be the perfect partner for Embiid, and holds his ground without the big man as well. It must be mentioned that Maxey just scored a career-high 51 points vs the Utah Jazz a few days ago.
The last time these two teams faced off in March 2023, Kyrie and Luka managed to score 23 and 24 points respectively, but it was not enough to get the win. Embiid and Maxey combined decently to lead the Sixers, so did James Harden, who bagged 12 assists that night.
With that said, it can be predicted that the Sixers might just get the better of the Mavericks tonight. However, if Luka decides to play through his injury, that could well and truly tip the scale in the Mavs’ favor.