3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following road win over Mavericks

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The Philadelphia 76ers were able to knock off the Dallas Mavericks 123-108 on the road on New Year's Day to get themselves up to 2-2 on this current 5-game road trip. The Sixers were able to improve to 18-14 on the season and will look for another win in New York on Saturday to end their road trip.

Tyrese Maxey had 34 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds to lead Philadelphia, Joel Embiid had 22 points, six assists, and four rebounds, and Paul George had 14 points and seven rebounds. Rookie VJ Edgecombe had 23 points and five rebounds Quentin Grimes added 19 points and seven rebounds along with three blocks off the bench.

Here are the three biggest takeaways following the win:

Maxey and Edgecombe takeover

The backcourt of Maxey and Edgecombe is making a case for one of the best in the league. At least a top 10 duo in the league. These two took the game over against the Mavericks on Thursday as they constantly were getting into the paint and were able to keep the scoreboard moving with an array of finishes at the basket and they were playing off each other as if they have been playing together forever. The Sixers will continue to rely on these two as time moves on and they continue to grow as players, and as a pairing, they will stake their claim as the best backcourt in the league eventually.

The Big 3 take another step

Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers is defended by P.J. Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks during the third quarter at American Airlines Center on January 01, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

George had a silent second half as Maxey and Edgecombe did most of the damage, but George, Embiid, and Maxey combined for 42 points in the first half in what has to be considered as their best half of basketball as a trio. The Sixers ran some two-man game between Maxey and Embiid which led to easy buckets while George was able to give Philadelphia some production off that action. It's a tough transition for somebody like George to go from always having the ball in his hands to now playing off Maxey and Embiid. It's a role he can nail down and give Philadelphia what it's looking for and there are glimpses of that coming to light.

Grimes back in form

Playing against his former Mavericks team, Grimes produced in a big way off the bench for the Sixers. He shot 7-for-9 from the floor and 5-for-7 from deep while also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out two assists while also blocking three shots. This is the type of performance the Sixers envision Grimes continuing to give them on a nightly basis, and after a rough couple of weeks, he was able to get back on track and look like the Grimes he has shown during his time in Philadelphia.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following road win over Mavericks

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