INDIANAPOLIS -- Tyrese Haliburton’s return to his home floor gave the Pacers crowd exactly the kind of moment it had been waiting for. The building was loud, the seats were packed, and the reaction when Haliburton hit half court was as strong as it gets. But the night belonged to Dallas, which walked into Indiana and took control early before cruising to a 121-105 win.
The Mavericks didn’t waste any time setting the tone. Before the crowd could settle in, Dallas was ahead 33-19.
By the end of the first quarter, the gap had stretched to 44-27 after the Mavs shot 70% in the opening frame. Indiana never caught up from there.
The second quarter brought more of the same. The Pacers managed just four points in the first 7 1/2 minutes of the period, and Dallas kept piling on, outscoring Indiana by 17 in the frame to take a 77-43 lead into halftime.
Indiana showed more fight after the break and trimmed the margin to 13 at one point, but the comeback never got close enough to matter. The Pacers never held a lead.
Ball security was another problem for Indiana. After coughing up 13 turnovers in its opening-night win in New Orleans, the Pacers had 13 turnovers by halftime Friday night and finished with 19. The shooting split told the same story: Indiana went 7-for-32 from 3-point range, while Dallas finished 14-for-34.
The atmosphere for Haliburton’s home return was the kind of scene players remember. After a long road back, the crowd let him know it. Haliburton finished with 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and he continued to look sharp in the first two games after the layoff, delivering several of the creative passes that have become his trademark.
Even in a loss, Indiana got a spark from a couple of its reserves. Jalen Slawson and Quenton Jackson brought energy, dove for loose balls, defended well and helped stir a crowd that was desperate for something to grab onto. They were the only Pacers players to finish in the plus in the net.
Indiana dropped to 1-1 with the defeat and will try to get back on track Sunday night in Brooklyn.
In Other News...
Pacers Home Opener Turned Ugly After Aaron Nesmith Set Off Chaos
Tyrese Haliburtons first home game back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after returning from his Achilles injury had the kind of energy Indiana expected, with the Pacers welcoming the Dallas Mavericks in a spot that should have been about celebration and a fresh start. Instead, the mood shifted in a hurry when Aaron Nesmith delivered a hard foul on Cooper Flagg, turning a normal early-season atmosphere into something far more tense.
Flagg hurt his left shoulder on the play and was ruled out for the rest of the game, and the officials responded by issuing technical fouls to both Nesmith and Naji Marshall in the aftermath. For a night that was supposed to center on Haliburtons return and the buildings first look at him at home, the Pacers quickly found themselves dealing with the kind of chaos no one in the arena wanted to see. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Suddenly Face Heat Over One Hard Foul On Cooper Flagg
A hard foul by Aaron Nesmith on Cooper Flagg turned into one of the sharper talking points from the Pacers game against the Mavericks, especially after Flagg came away with a left shoulder injury and did not return because of soreness. Nesmith was assessed a flagrant one on the play, and even in a game Indiana ultimately lost, the moment quickly became the kind of sequence that travels far beyond the box score.
For the Pacers, the fallout was less about the result and more about the optics of a play that drew immediate criticism on social media. Hard fouls happen, but this one left Flagg hurt, gave Dallas a tangible edge in the moment and put Nesmith squarely in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Still Have One Alarming Problem After Blowout Loss
The Pacers loss to Dallas was not just a bad night on the scoreboard, it was the kind of game that highlighted how far they still have to go defensively. The Mavericks controlled the flow from early on and never really let Indiana settle in, even as Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam managed to put together productive nights for the Pacers. Kyrie Irvings 24 points set the tone for Dallas, while PJ Washington added 20 points and 13 rebounds to keep the pressure on throughout.
What stood out most for Indiana was how little resistance it could offer when the game tilted out of reach. The offense had stretches of frustration as well, and Kelly Oubre Jr. endured a rough shooting night that only added to the teams struggles. For a Pacers group that has spent much of the season trying to prove it can hold up on both ends, this was the latest reminder that one glaring issue still needs fixing. [Read more 🡒]