Elton Brand scored a season-high 17 points, but it was not enough to spur the Dallas Mavericks past the Philadelphia 76ers, who held on for a 100-98 win.
Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young did most of the scoring for Philadelphia with 22 and 20 points respectively.
Brand, a two-time All-Star, played for the Mavericks in his first game against the Sixers. He had departed from Philadelphia on July 11, 2012, when his team released him using the NBA's amnesty clause, after which he joined Dallas.
"I was a part of it last year. We used to do it time and time again," the Associated Press quoted Brand as saying. "It was just hustle plays and being in the right spot at the right time."
The Mavericks scored 31 points against 76ers' 28 to take a lead in the first quarter. Philadelphia kept the lead at three points at halftime, with the scores reading 56-53.
The third quarter belonged to the 76ers as they outscored the Mavs by five points, and with it hold a two-point advantage, before a tense finish in the final quarter saw the 76ers just about hang on for the win.
For Philadelphia, their star point guard Jrue Holiday contributed with 18 points and seven assists.
For the Mavericks, Chris Kaman added 20 points and also chipped in four rebounds, Shawn Marion scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds with Vince Carter scoring 15, as the Mavs continued to play without their prime player Dirk Nowitzki.
Mavericks finished with eight turnovers in the quarter. "They were untimely and completely out of character to how we played to that point," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said of their performance in the stretch. "We have to eliminate those turnovers right now. In games like this, it's how you manage mistakes."
Brand displayed a well-rounded game against his previous team, also chipping in with eight rebounds, to go with his 17 points. "We gave the fans some excitement," he said. "It definitely wasn't a full success."
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