Dallas Mavericks plagued by same old woes in loss to Philadelphia 76ers

The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 116-108 on Wednesday night. Luka Doncic had a 24-point double-double, and Kyrie Irving scored 23, but it was not enough in Philly. The same old problems plagued the Mavs on March 29. They struggled in the fourth quarter and gave up a ton of points to the Sixers.

Philadelphia snapped a three-game losing streak as Dallas lost for the fifth time in the last six games. The Mavs are 11th in the Western Conference, and they desperately need wins in their final five regular season games if they are even going to make the playoffs.

Dallas cannot get stops, and their offense always stalls in the fourth quarter. It has been a recipe for disaster, and it was again after the Mavericks led most of the game on March 29. Here is a closer look at the Mavs' performance in Philadelphia.

Dallas Mavericks plagued by same old woes in loss to Philadelphia 76ers

The Mavs got off to a fast start on Wednesday evening, and they were up nine at the end of the first quarter. Dallas struggled mightily in the first in the back-to-back losses to Charlotte, but Kyrie made sure that was not going to happen in Philly. Irving had 11 points in the opening quarter, including this 3-pointer.

The Mavs led for most of the game with their superstar duo leading the way. Kyrie finished with 23 points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals in 40 minutes of action. He shot eight of 17 from the field in Philly. Luka put on a show of his own with 24 points, ten rebounds, eight assists, and one block in 37 minutes of action.

The Mavericks' offense slowed in the fourth quarter, and it proved costly on March 29. Dallas was shooting over 50 percent from the field and pushing 50 percent from 3-point range after three quarters, but they could not find their footing in the fourth. The Mavs scored just 17 in the final period and were outscored by ten in the last 12 minutes. Dallas cannot get stops, so they cannot afford to slow down at any point if they want to win.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 21 points on eight of 15 shooting, including making five 3-pointers against the Sixers. It was one of the Mavericks' better performances in recent weeks. The Sixers are one of the best teams in the league, and they were just a bit too much on March 29. Joel Embiid had 25 points and a game-clinching block to lead Philadelphia to victory.

The Dallas Mavericks have a couple of days off before finishing up their five-game road trip with a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday against the Heat and Hawks. Dallas needs every win, and their upcoming opponents are fighting for postseason positioning too, so there will be zero easy victories. Can Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving lead the Mavs to wins? Tune in to find out.