Kyrie Irving dominates in his return as Dallas Mavericks defeat Philadelphia 76ers

Kyrie Irving has missed the last 6 games with a thumb injury, but he returned tonight and played right where he left off, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a 118-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.

After a disappointing 2022-23 season where the Mavs missed the play-in tournament completely, things have turned around for them this season. A blockbuster trade in the 2023 season allowed Dallas to acquire NBA champion Kyrie Irving, and in the offseason both parties agreed to a 3-year extension. The 8-time All-Star has been having a phenomenal season alongside superstar Luka Doncic, and the team is rolling despite dealing with injuries. It will be interesting to see if owner Mark Cuban and the front office decides to make some changes during the trade deadline to bolster this roster and compete for a playoff push in the Western Conference.

Uncle Drew had an amazing first game back, finishing with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block on 59% shooting. Luka Magic came through with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists while Josh Green had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.

On the 76ers side, Kelly Oubre led the team in scoring with his 19 points. Tobias Harris had 17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block while All-Star Tyrese Maxey had 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists.

This win improves the Mavericks to 27-23, which makes them 8th in the Western Conference. Dallas is 4-6 over their last 10 games will play tomorrow night against the Brooklyn Nets.

Meanwhile, this loss drops the 76ers to 30-19, which makes them fall to the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. Philly is now 1.5 games behind the 4th seeded New York Knicks and 3 games above the 6th seeded Indiana Pacers. They are 4-6 over their last 10 games and currently on a 2-game losing streak. Their next game will be on Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors.