Takeaways From Sixers Final Scrimmage Game

The Sixers finished off their scrimmage schedule Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks. Sadly it would not end on a high note as the Mavs would go on to win in overtime by a final score of 118-115. Although their 1-2 record in their three scrimmages games does not look good, the Sixers have a lot of positives to take away from these games.

Before the game, Brett Brown met with the media and brought up some things he would like to focus on in this game. One key thing he brought up was defending on the perimeter, something he felt the team has done well since arriving in Orlando.

The Sixers have been extremely active on the defensive end throughout all of their scrimmages. Dallas shot just 12-41 (29.3%) from three in this game, a huge testament to how well the Sixers defenders played on the outside.

Tobias Harris had a slow start to this game but made his presence known by the end. He finished the night with 28 points on 50% shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. This was his second double-digit rebound game of these scrimmages, Harris’ overall play in these three games was strong and he looks ready for the real games to begin.

Al Horford started in place of Joel Embiid as he is still day-to-day with a calf injury. He followed up his good performance against the Thunder with a solid game against the Mavs, finishing the game with 14 points and five rebounds. Horford looks like he made the most of the time off because since arriving in Orlando he seems to have his legs under him and playing well. If he can continue to knock down shots from the outside on offense he will be a nice piece off the bench.

This game was the player's last chance to leave an impression before the rotation starts to slim down in preparation for the playoffs. Wing rotation minutes are still up in the air for someone to grab, and two players made the most of their minutes tonight.

Matisse Thybulle has looked like a whole new person since arriving in Orlando. He does not look like a rookie and his confidence continues to grow. Per usual he played strong on defense picking up three steals, but he also showed a lot on offense. Thybulle finished with 14 points and stepped out and knocked down a pair of threes. His growing confidence on offense is a great sign for the Sixers as the real games get ready to start.

Alec Burks was another player off the bench that played well in this game. He played the most minutes out of any Sixers player and showed what he can be for the Sixers off the bench. When all was said and done he had 17 points and picked up seven assists to go with it. The Sixers are going to need scoring and facilitation in the second unit so hopefully, Burks can build off his play in the scrimmage finale.

When the Sixers core was on the floor the team looked great on both ends. If they can continue to play the level of defense that they’ve shown teams are going to have a hard time beating them. Not to mention the team is only going to look stronger on both ends as Joel Embiid is expected to be in the lineup for the Sixers' first seeding game.

The warm-up is over and it’s time for the real action to begin, and the Sixers look ready for the challenge. The Sixers will be back in action on Saturday as they will be facing off against the Indiana Pacers for their first of eight seeding games.

Kevin McCormick is the 76ers insider for 97.3 ESPN and 76ers editor for Sportstalkphilly.com. Follow him on Twitter @KevinMcC973.