The calendar turns to 2026 with a game that carries more weight than a typical early-January matchup. The Philadelphia 76ers open the new year on the .

Philadelphia's dynamic backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe led the 76ers to an easy win over the stumbling Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks lost their third straight game on Monday night, which is their fifth loss in the last six games, and seven straight road losses. This one came at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers, who were in a similar position in the standings as the Mavs.

The Philadelphia 76ers visit the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. Tipoff for the New Year’s Day rematch is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.

So the quiet part out loud is the Mavs are much better off with another high pick, even if they aren’t likely to hit the grand slam that got them Flagg, than they are to wander into the 8 seed and get destroyed by the Oklahoma City Thunder in four games.

Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with a phenomenal outing: 34 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds on 14/24 shooting. VJ Edgecombe (23 points) and Joel Embiid (22 points) also had solid games for the 76ers, while the Mavericks were led by Max Christie with 18 points.

BOTTOM LINE: Houston aims to keep its four-game win streak intact when the Rockets take on Dallas. The Mavericks are 6-16 in Western Conference games. Dallas is fourth in the Western Conference with 34.4 defensive rebounds per game led by Anthony Davis averaging 7.4.

While Dallas fans are likely exhausted from discussing the trade that saw Nico Harrison send off Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Davis, the constant injuries have been a significant issue throughout Davis' career, especially during his tenure as a Maverick.