Mavericks Rout Sixers 123-70 in MCW’s Return

DALLAS  -- Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points while playing only 20 minutes and the Dallas Mavericks had their largest victory ever, 123-70 over the winless Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.

The 53-point margin for Dallas surpassed its 50-point win over the New York Knicks in January 2010.

At 0-8, Philadelphia is the only NBA team without a victory. The only time the 76ers have gone deeper into a season before winning a game was 1972-73, when they lost their first 15 games, according to STATS.

The 76ers, who scored the last five points to avoid their largest loss ever, matched Utah's 0-8 start from a year ago. The last NBA team with a longer losing streak to begin a season was the New Jersey Nets, who opened 0-19 in 2009-10, the worst start in NBA history.

Dallas jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first 2 minutes. That ballooned to 27-9 and eventually 38-10 by the end of the first quarter - the largest margin ever by the Mavericks through one quarter.

Nowitzki then hit two more jumpers, his last of five baskets before halftime, as the Mavericks scored the first seven points in the second quarter. Their 73-29 lead for a 44-point bulge gave them their biggest halftime lead ever.

Two nights after needing one of the biggest comebacks in team history to beat Sacramento, coming from 24 down, the Mavericks had a lead of at least 30 points in the first half for the third time in their five home games this season.

About the only highlight for the 76ers - the NBA's youngest team with players averaging just under 24 years old - was getting back last year's NBA Rookie of the Year. Michael Carter-Williams played for the first time since surgery in May to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. He led Philly with 19 points on 6-of-19 shooting, and also had eight rebounds and five assists.

Carter-Williams didn't start, and the 76ers already trailed 16-4 when he came into the game with 6:42 left. His first shot was a driving slam dunk, and he finished with another dunk.

Monta Ellis added 17 points for the Mavs, while Chandler Parsons and Brandan Wright each had 14. Tyson Chandler had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Nowitzki was 7-of-8 shooting, his only miss coming on a long 3-pointer with 7:15 left in the third quarter when the Mavs led 82-37. A minute later, Nowitzki was out of the game for good.

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