hit nine of their first 16 shots to stay as close as 3

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Philadelphia 76ers are just three losses away from tying the worst start in NBA history, but theyll try to collect win No. 1 Saturday night when they welcome the Dallas Mavericks to the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers matched the franchise record in losses to start a season on Wednesday night. They fell to the Brooklyn Nets, 99-91, in a spirited affair in Philadelphia. I thought we played some of our best basketball of the year and some of our poorest, said Sixers coach Brett Brown. The Sixers, after trailing by as many as 20 points in the first half, took their first lead on consecutive dunks from Nerlens Noel early in the fourth. But they missed eight of their last 11 shots over the final six minutes of the game. Tony Wroten and K.J. McDaniels scored 17 apiece to lead the Sixers and Wroten added 10 assists. Hollis Thompson scored 14 off the bench but point guard Michael Carter-Williams was 1-for-9 for four points with eight assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. The Sixers matched the 1972-73 team with 15 losses in a row to open. That team went on to post the worst record in NBA history at 9-73. The 2009-10 Nets began with 18 straight setbacks. Things dont get easier for the 76ers as the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs come to town Monday. Philly will also try and exact some revenge after the Mavericks hung a 53- point loss on them in Dallas on Nov. 13. The Mavericks opened a four-game road trip with Fridays 106-102 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Monta Ellis scored 15 of his 30 points in the final quarter. Chandler Parsons contributed 16 points, Dirk Nowitzki had 15 and Al-Farouq Aminu scored 14 for the Mavericks, who have won two straight and eight of their last 10 games. Monta Ellis had a great game for us tonight, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. A lot of guys stepped up for us tonight. It was a big win for us. Dallas will also visit Chicago and Milwaukee on the trip. The Mavs have won four in a row against the Sixers, seven of the last eight and 14 of the previous 17. Dallas has claimed victory in three of its last four trips to the City of Brotherly Love. Nike Air Max Wholesale China Free Shipping . Off-Season Game Plan looks at the Capitals possible summer plans, with the understanding that its tough to plot a direction without a general manager or head coach around which to set those expectations. Cheap Wholesale Air Max Shoes .J. -- All those records, all for naught. http://www.wholesaleairmaxchina.com/ . Vargas (8-3) allowed four singles and two walks while striking out five, allowing only two runners from a diluted Twins lineup to reach second base. Mike Moustakas and Jarrod Dyson hit RBI singles in the second inning against Kevin Correia (4-10), and that was all Vargas needed. Cheap Nike Air Max Shoes China .Mack, a reserve guard who came in averaging 3.8 points, made all six of his 3-pointers as the Hawks went 16 for 28 from behind the arc.Trailing 50-38 midway through the second quarter, Atlanta outscored Cleveland 89-48 the rest of the way and sent the Cavaliers to their largest loss of the season. Air Max Wholesale Free Shipping . -- Mike Shanahan gave Robert Griffin III a rest, and may have turned up the pressure on himself, too.DES MOINES, Iowa -- Wichita State soared past yet another overwhelmed Missouri Valley Conference opponent on Saturday night. Now the Shockers could be in line for another leap in the national polls. Cleanthony Early scored 19 points, Ron Baker added 14 and fifth-ranked Wichita State stayed perfect with a 78-61 win over Drake. Wichita States latest win -- combined with an ugly home loss by No. 4 Villanova to Creighton during the week and No. 3 Michigan States home defeat against No. 21 Michigan on Saturday -- could put the Shockers (21-0, 8-0 MVC) in position to leapfrog both teams on Monday. Coach Gregg Marshall appeared to be stumping for his team with what seemed to be a bit of a jab at Michigan State (18-2) after the game. "Did the mighty Spartans lose again?" Marshall said as he left the podium following his postgame news conference. The Shockers will have to wait until March for Michigan State or whoever else might stand in their way at another Final Four appearance. For now, theyll have to settle for pounding on teams in the Valley. Drake was the latest to succumb to Wichita States acrobatic offence and suffocating defence. Nick Wiggins had 11 points for the visiting Shockers, who outscored Drake 28-15 to open the second half and turn a relatively close game into a rout. The Shockers have now won four straight by at least 15 points after an overtime scare at Missouri State two weeks ago. Aaron Hawley had 16 points to lead Drake (11-9, 2-6), which lost for the sixth time in seven games. "That team is extremely tough-minded," Drake coach Ray Giacoletti said. "Each possession offensively and defensively, they control their destiny. They dont splinter ever. We were not able to make them splinter." The Bulldogs had their moments against the Valleys top team, but Wichita State showed off its superior talent with a handful of game-defining plays. Baker answered a Drake 3 with a three-point play through traffic with 15:45 left, and that kicked off a pair of spurts that overwhelmed the Bulldoogs.dddddddddddd Chadrack Lufile scored inside, and Tekele Cottons floater put the Shockers ahead 52-35 with just over 13 minutes left. Early then soared through the paint to flush down an errant shot, and Wiggins three-point play capped an 11-0 run that made it 65-44. The Shockers outrebounded Drake 34-20 and held its leading scorer, Richard Carter, to six points. Its been six years since Drake caught the nations attention with a stunning surge to the Valley championship, the programs first in 37 seasons. The Bulldogs are on their third coach since that NCAA tournament run, with Giacoletti in his first season in Des Moines. Drake started the season 10-3 and whipped Evansville 94-66 in the league opener before slipping during the heart of its Valley schedule. But the Bulldogs, bolstered by a near-sellout crowd, did their best to push the Shockers early. They hit nine of their first 16 shots to stay as close as 30-26. But Baker found Cotton for a one-handed alley-oop that sent Wichita State into the break with a 37-29 lead. "I know Tekele Cotton pretty well. He can jump really high and he likes to dunk it," Baker said. "It was a really athletic play from him, which is no surprise." Cotton then opened the second half with another dunk and the Shockers were on their way to their eighth road win. The Shockers wont face a remaining schedule as tough as Michigan States or perhaps anyone else in a power league. But Marshall said his Shockers can play with anyone in the country. Wichita State next hosts Loyola and Evansville ahead of what could be its toughest test of the year, at 16-4 Indiana State on Feb. 5. "This is a very good basketball team. We dont have to apologize to anybody about our schedule," Marshall said. "Was it (former Arizona Cardinals coach) Dennis Green that says, We are what they say we are? So, were (fifth) in the country and probably moving up -- that is unless theres some elite team wants to jump us this week. I dont know who that elite team might be." ' ' '