Player grades: Tyrese Maxey leads Sixers to road win over Mavericks

1 week ago 2

The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night to start the 2026 portion of their schedule looking for another win. The Sixers were able to walk away with a much-needed overtime win in Memphis on Tuesday and were looking to build off that performance.

Despite a slow start, the Sixers were able to use a big second quarter to build a lead, and rode that momentum to a comfortable 123-108 win. The Sixers swept the 2-game season series over the Mavericks, and they improved to 2-4 on the season when the Big 3 all play as they continue to gain chemistry as a group.

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 player grades after the win:

Tyrese Maxey: A

The hometown kid got off to an aggressive start. He was efficient with his 3-point looks while also putting his head down and finding seams in the defense for easy buckets. He was tough for the Mavericks to slow down all night as he gave Philadelphia a huge boost all night long on the offensive end. He was scoring with efficiency, made plays with his passing, and was able to make an impact on the glass. There was nothing the Mavs could do on the defensive end as Maxey attacked every defender they tried throwing at him and the star guard feasted on the opportunities given to him.

VJ Edgecombe: A

The rookie guard knocked down a 3-pointer early and then attacked the paint. The Mavericks struggled staying in front of him for the most part as he was able to get to the basket and find a way to contribute on the offensive end of the floor. He also made a number of hustle plays for Philadelphia as he made a big difference per usual. The offensive production he gave the Sixers in this one was super important as he was able to be a consistent source of scoring next to Maxey. He was impactful on both ends as he certainly made his presence felt in this one.

Paul George: B

This was a game where George showed he still has something in those 35-year-old legs. He was in the paint early in this one as he was taking defenders off the dribble and he even had a one-handed slam that showed he still has something left to give to the game. He was also terrific on the defensive end as he led the charge on that end and gave Philadelphia a presence on the perimeter. He gave the Sixers some help on the glass and gave the Sixers some scoring in this one.

Dominick Barlow: C-minus

The young big man picked up two quick fouls in the early going and wasn’t able to contribute much in the early going. What he was able to do was make a big difference in the third quarter when he knocked down a corner 3 and made a few hustle plays for the Sixers to make an impact on both ends. He did foul out early in the fourth after just 18 minutes.

Joel Embiid: A-minus

The big fella started the night on a roll on the offensive end. Embiid worked in the mid-range against Mavericks big men Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford and made sure he got to his spots on the floor. His mid-range game was working to a T in this one. When Dallas started doubling, he did a great job with his decision-making and finding ways to get his teammates involved. Overall, his efficiency wasn’t great, but he got to the line, took care of the basketball, and got his teammates involved in order to keep the scoreboard moving. He made some big plays in the fourth to keep the Sixers in control.

Quentin Grimes: A

It had to be encouraging for the Sixers to see Grimes knock down a corner 3-pointer when Dallas doubled Embiid on a drive. This was the type of game the Sixers envisioned when they brought Grimes back as he was helpful on a number of ways in this one with his shot, on the glass, and defensively. He made a number of big plays in the second half with his 3-point shooting and defensive ability.

Adem Bona: B-plus

The Sixers turned to Bona in the second half and he gave some production with an offensive rebound and a quick putback off his own miss. He also did a good job on the defensive end as he bothered the Mavs on that end.

Andre Drummond: C

It was a tough night for Drummond. He had trouble with Davis as he was unable to find a way to slow him down, and he got into foul trouble early. The positives for him in this one were his work on the glass and he was able to finish in the paint.

Jared McCain: C

McCain had a productive first stint. He knocked down a shot, grabbed a handful of rebounds, and came up with a steal to get the Sixers moving in the right direction. The issue for McCain in this one was that he still had trouble with his 3-point shooting. The Sixers need him to find that rhythm in that department of his game.