Mavs host 76ers in meeting of slumping teams

A three-game losing streak will end Tuesday night in Dallas when the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

The Sixers embark on a two-game jaunt through Texas, but play 11 of their next 13 on the road. They have lost three straight and six of their last eight games.

Philly has been without the services of Jrue Holiday in its last two losses, a road setback to the Indiana Pacers and a home defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Holiday is traveling with the team as he tries to recover from a sprained left foot.

In his absence, Evan Turner slid over to the point and has averaged 19.0 ppg and 5.5 apg. The offense has struggled, although it has been mediocre since long before Holiday went down. The Sixers haven't scored 100 points since Nov. 30 in Charlotte.

Against the Lakers, L.A. made 14 3-pointers, 10 in the first half, and turned this one into a laugher. Philly lost 111-98 and Nick Young, inserted into the starting lineup, poured in 30 in the loss.

The Sixers have slid to ninth in the NBA in opponents' scoring after spending much of the season in the top five.

"We've been guarding people looking for help," said head coach Doug Collins. "I think we have to know when guys need help and where the help has to come from. To do that, you've got to communicate."

The Mavs also come in losers of three straight although two of those losses came in either overtime or double-overtime. After a pathetic effort against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, the Mavs fell in overtime to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-106.

All three losses during this slide have come on the road, but the Mavericks return home Tuesday, where they are 7-3 on the season and 5-0 against Eastern Conference opponents.

"Turnovers were a big problem for us on the trip," said head coach Rick Carlisle at practice on Monday. "We have to work to take care of the ball. To be honest, we've done uncharacteristically stupid things. We have to work to correct it."

Against the T-Wolves, the Mavs committed 20 turnovers. Derek Fisher and O.J. Mayo each had 20 points, but Fisher committed five turnovers and has averaged 3.3 turnovers per game in the last three.

If turnovers are a problem now, the Mavs flat-out lost because of the mistakes when they played the Sixers in Philly on Nov. 27. Dallas turned it over on six straight possessions in the fourth quarter and the Sixers won 100-98.

The 76ers haven't won in Dallas since Jan. 29, 2005.