Dallas Basketball

Mavs Down Sixers 118-115 In OT Bubble Preseason Finale

In their final dress rehearsal before the re-start of the NBA regular season, the Dallas Mavericks topped a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team.
Matt Galatzan|
Mavs Down Sixers 118-115 In OT Bubble Preseason Finale
Mavs Down Sixers 118-115 In OT Bubble Preseason Finale

The NBA's restart is well underway, with the participating teams facing off in their final dress rehearsals before the start of the 'regular-season' games this Thursday night. 

Facing a depleted Philadelphia 76ers unit, the Dallas Mavericks were able to get off to a hot start on Tuesday night, and then able to hang on for a 118-115 OT win.

The Sixers did use a dominant third quarter to steal back the momentum and turn the tables on the Mavs, taking a double-digit lead midway through the third quarter, and seemingly taking control of the game from there. 

The Mavs stars more than held their own throughout most of those first three quarters before exiting the contest for good, with Luka Doncic finishing the scrimmage with 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. (Oh, and a near-collision with a moving TV camera.)

Kristaps Porzingis also finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds of his own, with both players looking dominant in their own right. 

"And now,'' KP said, "we're ready for the real deal.''

But before that ... Just when the game seemed lost, however, the Mavs roared life midway through the fourth quarter, going on a 12-2 run to tie the game with just under six minutes of action left. 

After the Sixers looked to have regained control in the closing minutes, the Mavs once again rebounded and were able to force overtime thanks to an oddly constructed, yet impressive unit consisting of J.J. Barea, Trey Burke, Josh Reaves, Antonius Cleveland and Justin Jackson. 

Once in the overtime period, Dallas never looked back, winning 118-115, and ending the 'pre-season' slate at 2-1 overall.

"Cleveland and Reaves both played very very well,'' coach Rick Carlisle said. "They're both really good defenders. They're both improved 3-point shooters and they can both drive the ball. They're there, they're ready."

Now, with the last of three scrimmages out of the way, the Mavs can finally shift their focus to the final eight games of the regular season, beginning with a nationally-televised matchup with the Houston Rockets on Friday night. 

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com. He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration.  Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network.  When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later.  Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered.  Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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