NBA: 76ers hold off Mavericks to earn road win

Tobias Harris scored 28 points and knocked down a critical 3-pointer as the Philadelphia 76ers held off a ferocious rally by the host Dallas Mavericks to earn a 120-116 win on Sunday afternoon.

Philadelphia was in position to cruise to the finish line when it led by 15 with six minutes left in the game, but Luka Doncic then took over. He scored nine points in a span of just two minutes to get the lead down to nine, helping Dallas eventually pull within 110-105 with 1:34 to go.

But Harris pushed the margin to eight with his triple from the corner, and the 76ers held on for their second straight win.

Tyrese Maxey added 24 points for Philadelphia, which also got 21 from Kelly Oubre Jr. Paul Reed paired 13 points with seven rebounds as the Sixers shot 45.5 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Doncic recorded his third straight triple-double, racking up 38 points, 11 boards and 10 assists. Kyrie Irving contributed 28 points and Derrick Jones Jr. netted 21 to go along with seven rebounds.

Dallas shot 46.5 percent overall and 39 percent from 3-point range.

Buddy Hield scored half of Philadelphia’s points during a 10-0 spurt that put the Sixers up by 15, 74-59, with 7:19 remaining in the third quarter.

The Mavericks trailed by at least 11 for the remainder of the period, and the 76ers took a 90-76 advantage into the fourth.

Dallas scored the game’s first 11 points, but the 76ers responded with a 14-2 burst that included a pair of threes from Hield. Philadelphia went on to lead 32-22 after 12 minutes of action thanks in large part to 17 points from Maxey.

Harris got going in the second quarter, scoring eight straight Sixers points as Philadelphia built a 52-43 cushion with 3:38 left until halftime.

A pair of Maxi Kleber free throws ignited an 8-4 run that the Mavericks used to close the first half, allowing them to pull within 56-51 by the break. — Field Level Media/Reuters