The Pacers head into Dallas with a little extra edge and a real chance to answer for what happened the last time these teams met.
That earlier meeting in Indiana went sideways fast. In the home opener - and Tyrese Haliburton’s official return to playing in front of Pacers fans since the NBA Finals - the Mavericks controlled the game from the opening tip and built a lead as large as 37 in the first half.
It was a rough night for the blue and gold, and the temperature rose late in the half when Aaron Nesmith hustled back on defense after another Indiana turnover and hit Cooper Flagg with a hard foul to stop an easy basket. The call was upgraded to a Flagrant 1, Flagg left the game and did not return, and the sequence sparked a confrontation involving Nesmith and Naji Marshall.
Flagg was not seriously injured and later returned after missing an additional game, but the moment left a mark. There was no love lost in that one, and Monday night has the feel of another physical game.
The scheduling break could matter, too. Dallas played Brooklyn on Sunday, so the Mavericks come in on shorter rest than Indiana, which traveled from Mexico City to Dallas after finishing its game Saturday. That kind of edge can show up late, especially if the Pacers can push the pace and make the game uncomfortable.
Injury-wise, the Pacers had not submitted their report for this matchup, though against Denver they listed only Tyrese Haliburton, Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy. Dallas had Derrick Lively II, Sergio de Larrea and Tarik Biberovic out against Brooklyn.
Kyrie Irving also sat out the second game of Dallas’ only back-to-back this season. He rested against the Kings at home last Monday, and the Mavericks lost that game, handing Sacramento its only win of the season.
If Irving sits again, that would be a major blow for Dallas, especially with de Larrea already out.
The Pacers have had some success in Dallas since trading for Haliburton, winning three of their last four games there. With Haliburton playing, they’ve won every game in the Lone Star State. He remains out for this one, though last season’s loss without him still came down to the wire when Nesmith missed a game-winning three and the Pacers dropped their fourth straight.
Even with both rosters changed from those previous trips, Dallas has been a place where Indiana’s offense has found life. In the Pacers’ last three wins there, they scored 124, 134 and 137 points.
Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell have been productive off the bench in that building, while Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard have shot it well enough to let others carry the scoring load.
That may be the formula again, especially with Siakam struggling from three and Nembhard coming off his worst shooting game of the season. A cleaner shooting night could swing things quickly.
Nesmith is another name to watch. He’ll likely get plenty of attention from Mavericks fans after the hard foul on Flagg in the home opener, and Dallas has already seen him struggle in that arena.
Last season, he went 2-for-16 from the field and 1-for-9 from three there. Indiana needed more from him then, and it needs more now.
He’s been stuck in a similar shooting funk early this season, with his numbers from deep and from the field lagging while his impact in other areas has been limited.
As the Pacers work their way back toward full strength, a breakout from Nesmith would go a long way.
In Other News...
Cooper Flaggs Breakout Has Mavericks Fans Eyeing A Bigger Test
The Mavericks took control early against the Nets and never really let the game drift, with Cooper Flagg doing the heavy lifting in a performance that gave Dallas plenty to feel good about. Flagg kept the offense organized and aggressive, and the win came with a smoother look than the team has often had when trying to settle into its rotation.
Brooklyn never found much rhythm, especially after Noah Clowney ran into foul trouble and was out of the game in under eight minutes. Dallas also eased Max Christie back in after his injury return, a reminder that the Mavericks are still sorting out their pieces even as the results start to tilt their way. The bigger question now is how Flagg's growing role translates when the opposition is a little less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Backcourt Problem Just Got Harder To Ignore
The Mavericks backcourt depth is getting tested in a way that makes every absence behind Kyrie Irving feel a little heavier. With backup point guard Sergio De Larrea out because of a right knee sprain, Dallas has had to lean more on its current reserve guards, and Walter Clayton Jr. has helped steady the rotation while the team tries to keep the position from becoming a nightly problem.
De Larrea has already missed six straight games, and the delay in his return only adds to the uncertainty around a group that was already thin. For a team trying to manage its guard minutes carefully, the longer this lingers the more the Mavericks have to rely on patchwork solutions, at least until there is clearer news on when he can get back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Guard Shakeup Is Creating An Early Rotation Battle
The Mavericks are still sorting out their backcourt mix after Max Christies recent shooting slump and the hip issue that has cut into his availability. In the meantime, Caleb Martin has slid into the starting shooting guard spot and given Dallas a steadier look on the wing, bringing defense and efficient shooting from deep while the coaching staff keeps testing different combinations early in the season.
Walter Clayton Jr. has also entered the conversation as a useful ball-moving option, giving the Mavericks another guard to consider as they evaluate roles and lineups. With Dusty May continuing to experiment, this has become more than a temporary patch job, it is an early rotation battle that could shape how the backcourt settles once the team gets deeper into the schedule. [Read more 🡒]