DALLAS — It’s a tricky line, the concept of tanking without overtly doing it.

The downtrodden Philadelphia 76ers played the equally depleted Dallas Mavericks on Sunday afternoon at American Airlines Center. The teams were even, missing-player-wise, and equally looking ahead to an infusion of young talent in the draft.

For the unenlightened, tanking in the NBA refers to when poor teams lose on purpose to increase their chances of getting top draft picks. In the Sixers’ case, they aim to keep their top-six protected first-round pick. June’s draft is projected to be a very good one, especially near the top.

So this was a crucial game for them in regard to compiling enough losses. But they had a disastrous ending, depending on whom you ask, by prevailing, 130-125.

“Listen, we are going to prepare this group to go out there and have some success,” coach Nick Nurse said of the makeshift version of the Sixers winning a must-lose game. “Again, they played very well tonight. ... Again, we just want to prepare them well and give them a chance to show what they can do and have some success.”

The victory improved the Sixers to 23-44, and for the time being dropped them a game behind the Brooklyn Nets for the league’s fifth-worst record. The Sixers ended a three-game losing streak and posted just their fourth win in 21 games. Meanwhile, the Mavs (33-36) have lost three straight and 10 of their last 12 games.

This game didn’t lack for excitement.

Klay Thompson drained a 3-pointer to pull the Mavs within 124-121 with 1 minute, 35 seconds left. The Sixers had been leading by as many as 12 points. Then Spencer Dinwiddie’s layup made it a 124-123 game with 37.4 seconds left.

But Quentin Grimes made a pair of foul shots to give the Sixers a three-point cushion with 25.4 seconds remaining.

After P.J. Washington scored a layup for Dallas on the ensuing possession, the Sixers’ Jared Butler drained a pair of foul shots to push the lead to 128-125 with 12 seconds left. Dinwiddie missed a 25-foot 3-pointer after a timeout. Guerschon Yabusele grabbed the defensive rebound. Then two-way guard Jalen Hood-Schifino hit a pair of free throws with 4 seconds left to give the Sixers their five-point victory.

“For me, just focusing on my breath and saying calm, and knowing if I get those two free throws, the game is over,” Hood-Schifino said. “So for me, it was about relaxing and knocking those shots down.”

Washington finished with 29 points to go with 12 rebounds for Dallas in his first game since March 1. Quentin Grimes had 28 points and six assists in his first trip here since the Mavs traded him to the Sixers on Feb. 6. Hood-Schifino scored a career-high 19 points while making 5 of 9 3-pointers in his second game with the Sixers. Ricky Council IV had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

One could have fielded two entire teams with all the players who sat out the matinee. The Sixers were without 10 players. The Mavs sat nine.

As a result, Dallas dressed just eight players. The Sixers had nine available bodies after signing Chuma Okeke on Sunday morning to a second 10-day contract. His addition came after they added Oshae Brissett to a 10-day deal on Friday. The Sixers were granted roster hardship exceptions to sign them.

A team must meet criteria to qualify for a hardship exception: It has to have at least four players unavailable due to injury or illness. Those four players must have missed at least three consecutive games. And all four of those players are expected to remain sidelined for at least two more weeks.

Joel Embiid (left knee injury management), Jared McCain (left knee meniscus surgery) and Eric Gordon (right wrist surgery) have been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry (right hip injury management) has not played since Feb. 8.

Paul George has missed the last six games for what is listed on the injury report as left groin soreness. However, he has been consulting with doctors on treatment options, including a possible procedure, for his groin and ailing left knee. A decision is expected to be made in the coming days. And one can argue that it doesn’t make sense for George, who’s also dealing with a torn tendon in his right little finger, to return this season.

Sunday’s other sidelined players: Tyrese Maxey (sprained lower back/sprained finger), Kelly Oubre Jr. (sprained right knee), Andre Drummond (sprained left toe), Adem Bona (sprained left ankle) and Lonnie Walker IV (concussion).

As a result, Yabusele was the only Sixer who was consistently in the early-season rotation who played against the Mavs.

This wasn’t the expectation early in the season.

Both squads were among the favorites to contend for the NBA title. The Mavs’ fortunes changed after they sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade on Feb. 2. Anthony Davis, whom they acquired in the deal, has played in only one game because of a left adductor strain. Then Mavs point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee on March 3.

Since then, the Mavs had lost five of six games heading into Sunday’s matchup. Meanwhile, the Sixers had been derailed by injuries and lack of continuity since the beginning of season.

“I think that there’s a reason you have to go play the games, right? Lots of things can happen,” Nurse said of both teams having unexpected seasons. “You don’t have a thousand seasons. So when you have one like this, it hurts. You know, it’s too bad for everybody involved: fans, players, coaches, front office, staff, everybody. But you’ve got to hopefully use it as motivation to get ready to go and turn it around next season.

“I think there’s some good examples of some teams that have fallen way out because of things like that and come right back next year. And that’s what I’m sure we’re hoping to do and I’m sure Dallas is hoping to do as well.”

But that doesn’t mean that the Sixers are above being made fun of because of their on-court struggles. There was a post Saturday on X showing that the team was tied with the Nets for fifth place in the NBA’s reverse standings. Former Sixers center Paul Reed responded in a tweet, “They thought I was the problem.” The Sixers waived Reed on July 9. The reserve center now plays for the Detroit Pistons, who have a 37-31 record.

“I don’t have a response,” Nurse said. “We certainly didn’t think Paul Reed was a problem.”

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