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Sixers trim Mavs in Brand's Philly return

Nov 28, 2012 - 3:56 AM Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Evan Turner scored 22 points and the Philadelphia 76ers held off a late comeback attempt by the Dallas Mavericks to produce a 100-98 victory at the Wells Fargo Center.

Thaddeus Young added 20 points and Jrue Holiday had 18 along with seven assists for Philadelphia, which put together a 10-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to break an 81-81 deadlock before staving off the hard-charging Mavericks down the stretch to record their fifth win in seven games.

"That's what we've been doing a lot lately, locking down defensively when we have to and making big plays," said Holiday.

Dallas cut a 100-93 deficit with under two minutes left down to two on the strength of five straight points from Vince Carter, then had a chance to tie when O.J. Mayo was fouled going to the lane with 2.7 seconds to play. He missed both free throw tries, however, and Jae Crowder's desperation shot off the rebound missed the mark as time expired.

Chris Kaman put up 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting and Shawn Marion finished with 17 in the loss, Dallas' second straight and seventh in its last 10 outings.

"We're all disappointed but not dismayed," said Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle. "It was unfortunate. I'm steadfast in my belief in these guys."

Former Sixer Elton Brand netted a season-best 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds in his return to Philadelphia. The veteran forward was released by the 76ers via the amnesty clause in July and subsequently claimed off waivers by Dallas.

Philadelphia used strong defense during its pivotal fourth-quarter surge, forcing six Dallas turnovers during a stretch of nearly three minutes to build a 91-81 lead with under 5 1/2 minutes left.

Spencer Hawes started the spurt with a putback basket and Dorell Wright and Nick Young sank back-to-back baskets off Jason Richardson steals to put Philadelphia up 87-81 with 6:53 to go. Holiday followed with a steal of his own shortly afterward and fed Thaddeus Young for a layup and ensuing foul shot that extended the margin to nine points.

"That was the game," said Carlisle of the Sixers' run. "To say the least, it was completely out of character the way we played."

Dallas would settle down and climb back into it late, with Carter knocking down a clutch 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining and knifing through for a bucket with 35.9 seconds left to bring the Mavericks within 100-98. After Holiday missed on the other end, Mayo slashed his way into the paint with time winding down and drew contact to give Dallas the opportunity to tie.

The career 82 percent free-throw shooter was off the mark on his first attempt, however, and intentionally missed the second in hopes of forcing one final shot. Crowder would corral the loose ball, but his 25-footer at the buzzer bounced off the rim and the Sixers survived.

Philadelphia started out the game red-hot, connecting on its first seven shots in taking a 17-8 lead just over four minutes in. However, Dallas ripped off a 16-2 spurt later in the first quarter to turn an eight-point deficit into a 29-23 advantage after Darren Collison's steal and layup in the final minute of the period.

Dallas' lead grew to nine points following a 6-0 sequence capped by Kaman's turnaround jumper nearing the midway mark of the second quarter that made the score 48-39, but Philadelphia battled back over the latter stages of the half to draw even before Brand converted a 3-point play to send the Mavs into the break with a 56-53 lead.

The 76ers hit just 4-of-17 field goal attempts in the second quarter, but remained within striking distance by going 15-of-18 from the foul line.

The game remained tight throughout the third quarter, with neither team ahead by more than four points and Philadelphia ending the session with a slim 75-73 edge.

Game Notes

Brand spent four years with the 76ers from 2008-12 and averaged 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds during his tenure with the team ... Philadelphia earned its first win over Dallas since a 92-81 home decision on Jan. 22, 2010, with the Mavs having prevailed in 10 of the 13 most recent meetings between the clubs ... Mayo, who was averaging a team-best 21.5 points per game coming in, was held to a season-low 11 on 4-of-10 shooting ... The Sixers made 6-of-14 attempts from 3-point range and are now 6-2 this season when shooting 40 percent or better from beyond the arc ... Philadelphia also improved to 8-0 when leading after three quarters ... Sixers rookie guard Malik Wayns posted career high of 10 points and 13 minutes played.