China's Ding scores first point as Mavericks top 76ers

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Ding Yanyuhang made his debut and scored one point for the Mavericks as the Dallas side edged the Philadelphia 76ers 115-112 in the NBA China game.

Luka Doncic got 15 points and five assists for the Mavericks. Joel Embiid scored a game-high 29 points for the 76ers.

Doncic made two three-point jumpers to give the Mavericks a 6-5 lead. The 76ers took the lead 9-6 thanks to Robert Covington's shot and Markelle Fultz's layup.

Dorian Finney-Smith, Wesley Matthews, Dennis Smith Jr. and Doncic combined for an 11-0 run to help the Mavericks regain the lead 17-9. Ben Simmons' slam dunk inspired the 76ers to get back in the game, as Embiid, T.J. McConnell and J.J. Barea fought hard to cut the deficit to one point and the Mavericks led 30-29 by the end of the first quarter.

Luka Doncic (R) of the Dallas Mavericks in action during the 2018 NBA China Game in Shenzhen, October 8, 2018. /VCG Photo

Embiid continued to shine in the second quarter as the 24-year-old player made two free throws to give the 76ers a 31-30 lead. The 76ers increased their advantage to 49-40 after Simmons made a 6-foot two-point shot. Maximilian Kleber stood out to contribute seven points, adding Doncic's two points from the free-throw line. The 76ers led 61-57 going into the half-time break.

Dwight Powell and Doncic launched an 8-1 run and the Mavericks retook the advantage 70-65, but the 76ers stormed a 13-2 spurt to regain the lead. The two teams were tied at 86-86 by the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter saw Embiid scored the first four points and the 76ers led 90-86. But Barea, Devin Harris and Jalen Brunson combined to score 10 straight points to inspire the Mavericks to lead 96-90.

China's sprint star Su Bingtian comes to cheer for Ding Yanyuhang and posts a picture on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

Ding Yanyuhang, the two-time CBA MVP, entered the game for Ryan Broekhoff with 8:33 to go. The 25-year-old forward made one of two free throws to get his first point for Dallas.

Ding became the third Chinese player to join in the NBA China Games after Yao Ming and Liu Wei in 2004. Ding's performance has earned him a position in Dallas, said coach Rick Carlisle after the game. However, he might start his journey in the NBA G-League.

With 100 seconds to go, Jalen Brunson made a crucial three pointer to give the Mavericks a 111-107 lead. The 76ers still had a chance at 115-112 with nine seconds to go when Brunson missed his second free throw, only to see Demetrius Jackson miss the three-point effort.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency