The Dallas Mavericks, losers of three straight, kicked off 2026 by hosting the 76ers on Thursday night. Looking to draw even in their season series with Philadelphia, Dallas instead extended their overall
losing streak with a 123-108 loss.
Let’s get to the grades!
Ryan Nembhard: C
9 PTS / 2 REB / 3 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 22 MIN
Nembhard went largely unnoticed outside of a few first quarter shots, and a big three in the second quarter that kept the Mavs connected at the time. Other than solid 4-for-7 shooting, there was not much to write home about, and two turnovers to three assists did not help his cause.
Max Christie: B
18 PTS / 1 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 29 MIN
Christie as more than a designated three-point shooter equals nice results. After dropping 25 points last game, he once again had some nice drives, a couple successful post-ups, and an opportunity to create with the ball in his hands. It’s a problem that he was the best player (by far) for the Mavs tonight, but kudos for him for being one of a handful who actually showed up.
Cooper Flagg: C
12 PTS / 7 REB / 7 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 37 MIN
Flagg continues to show he can impact the game even when his shot isn’t falling (5-for-15). Generally speaking though, he did not kick off 2026 in style. He was frequently doubled, even with Anthony Davis having returned from injury, and it definitely affected his game. Like so many others, there just isn’t a whole lot to say.
P.J. Washington: C-
11 PTS / 5 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 1 BLK – 34 MIN
Washington dropped a rebound he had in both hands, yielding it to VJ Edgecombe (who was on his back), then fouled Edgecombe on a made shot, epitomizing the disaster that was the second quarter. While that was an anomalous low-light, Washington was a bit too quiet again and was unable to make a material impact on the game in any noticeable way. The team leading minus-19 he registered while on the floor makes sense if you watched the game.
Anthony Davis: C-
13 PTS / 8 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 37 MIN
Davis returned from a few days off and looked a step slow despite decent shooting for his first game back (6-for-13). Working heavily against him in the grade department was the matador defense he played when matched up with Joel Embiid (and others), along with a high frequency of turnovers (three) and too many fouls committed (three).
Daniel Gafford: B+
8 PTS / 5 REB / 0 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 11 MIN
So few minutes often results in a player not being graded, but Gafford was productive for under a single quarter of play, hitting 3-for-5 from the floor and both of his free throw attempts while not turning it over even once. Solid if not somewhat uneventful night.
Brandon Williams: B-
14 PTS / 7 REB / 5 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN
Williams once again struggled with his shot, going 5-for-15 from the floor, but had a favorably disproportionate rebound total and solid assist total off the bench. A few blow-by drives were nice to look at, but not enough to pretty up an ugly game overall.
Naji Marshall: C
9 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 22 MIN
If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve realized many of these grades look the same and result from similar game play. Marshall had a couple of his patented flip shots that brought the Mavs as close as they got in the second half, buoying his grade slightly, but for the most part there was nothing doing in this one for Marshall.
Final thoughts
The Mavs clearly got the message that sleeping through the first quarter is not a recipe for success. They looked engaged and were hitting shots, though their defense wasn’t exactly what you’d call “lock down” in the opening frame and it only got worse from there. Aside from coming close in the early part of the fourth quarter, Dallas looked like they were still recovering from a New Year’s Eve hangover.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
