3 overreactions as Mavericks lose clutch game to Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

The Dallas Mavericks hit the road to face the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night in a battle between the most recent first and third overall picks, Cooper Flagg and VJ Edgecombe. The two have a little bit of history from going against each other in high school, so there could've been some fireworks in this game.

Philly had a hot start, getting out to a 12-point lead in the first quarter behind a lot of free throws, but six points by Naji Marshall in the final 20 seconds of the frame helped make it a five-point game.

From there, the difference between the teams rarely got too large. Tyrese Maxey was dynamite in the first half for the 76ers, putting up 22 points, but the Mavericks were able to take a very brief lead in the second quarter after a quick 11-2 run. However, the 76ers regained the lead soon after, and would go into halftime up by six.

And as they have all season, the 76ers collapsed in the third quarter. They have one of the worst third-quarter net ratings in the NBA, and that rang true in this game, as the Mavericks outscored Philly 35-23. Dallas was a blistering 15/19 from the floor in the third while the 76ers were just 8/23.

P.J. Washington woke up a little bit, while Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Naji Marshall continued their strong play, and they were consistent all night.

But then, the 76ers started the 4th by outscoring the 76ers 24-5. Tyrese Maxey, after going scoreless in the third quarter, was alive and well in the fourth. While the 76ers may be a really bad third-quarter team, they're a great fourth-quarter team.

Philly would go up by 11, but a lob from Brandon Williams to Cooper Flagg in transition helped give them so momentum. But that momentum never came, and the 76ers would go on to win 121-114.

Cooper Flagg finished his last game as an 18-year-old with 24 points, Anthony Davis had a double-double with 24 points and 14 rebounds (further proving he's a center, not a power forward), and Naji Marshall had a really efficient game with 22 points on 9/12 shooting.

However, Tyrese Maxey's 16 points in the fourth quarter gave him 38 for the game. That's hard to overcome, especially when he's flanked by VJ Edgecombe (26 points) and Dominick Barlow (21 points).

Here are three overreactions from this loss.

1. Jabari Walker Had One of the Worst Fouls You'll Ever See

Dec 5, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jabari Walker (33) puts up a shot against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

It ended up not mattering, but late in the first quarter, the Mavericks were setting up for a heave from like three-quarters court. Not only did Jabari Walker foul Naji Marshall, but it was a shooting foul for three shots, and those free throws helped give the Mavericks some momentum in the second. It's one of those decisions that just makes everyone shake their head.

2. Naji Marshall is Actually Elite in the Paint

Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) reacts after making a three-point basket against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Naji Marshall entered the game shooting around 70% on his shots in the paint this year, and he exceeded that in this game. He didn't miss a shot period until the fourth quarter on his way to a 9/12 outing, and every single one of his shots came in the paint. He isn't necessarily helping the spacing, but when he's that strong in the paint, it's hard to complain.

3. Odd Closing Lineup From Jason Kidd

Dec 18, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd yells to his team during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It's not odd to roll with basically your starters down the stretch, and that's what Jason Kidd did, going with Brandon Williams, Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, and Anthony Davis. But the only issue with that lineup is that there is NO shooting, and they were down between 5 and 9 points during that whole stretch. They didn't put Klay Thompson in until the final 30 seconds, which felt a tad too late.

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