Field Level Media
Apr 8, 2018
JJ Redick led five players in double figures with a team-high 18 points as the Philadelphia 76ers became a 50-game winner for the first time in 17 years with a 109-97 victory Sunday afternoon over the Dallas Mavericks in Philadelphia.
The win allowed the 76ers (50-30) to lower their magic number to clinch the third seed in the Eastern to two over the Cleveland Cavaliers (49-31) with two games remaining.
The 76ers finish the regular season Tuesday at Atlanta and Wednesday at home against Milwaukee. The Cavaliers wrap up with a home-and-home series Monday and Wednesday against New York.
Philadelphia, which won just 10 games two seasons ago, hadn't won 50 games in a season since going 56-26 in 2001.
Robert Covington (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Ersan Ilyasova (11 points, game-high 12 rebounds) recorded double-doubles for Philadelphia, which won its 14th straight.
The 76ers swept the two-game season series from the Mavericks.
Ben Simmons had 16 points and Marco Belinelli 15 in a balanced attack for the 76ers, who broke open a close game with a 14-0 flurry in the second quarter that featured three consecutive hoops by Covington, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Simmons contributed his usual all-around effort, complementing his 16 points with seven rebounds, nine assists and four steals.
Harrison Barnes was the game's leading scorer with 21 points for the Mavericks, who lost for the 11th time in their last 13 games.
Barnes shot just 9-for-25 from the field as the Mavericks were limited to 42.6 percent as a team. The 76ers connected on 50.5 percent of their shots.
Dennis Smith Jr. (20 points, game-high 11 assists), Dwight Powell (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Maxi Kleber (11 points, 10 rebounds) all recorded double-doubles for the Mavericks, while Dorian Finney-Smith and Doug McDermott finished with 10 points apiece.
The 20-point game was the 15th of Smith's rookie season. The double-double was his sixth.
Neither team shot well on 3-pointers, with the 76ers going 8-for-27 (29.6 percent) while the Mavericks connected on just 11-for-40 (27.5 percent).
--Field Level Media