Pacers Put Together Team Effort to Down Mavericks 137-120

1. First Quarter

After slow starts the last two road contests in New Orleans and San Antonio, it started like it was going to be three consecutive games. After 3:45 of play, Indiana trailed Dallas 15-9 after a Kyrie Irving layup. Rick Carlisle called a timeout to regroup to prevent a further deficit. His team responded with 8-2 burst to tie the game up at 17 because of Myles Turner scoring three of the next four possessions. He eventually gave Indiana its second lead with 5:33 left in the quarter. The two teams would be gridlocked at 24 with 4:04 left in the quarter before Indiana went on a 8-2 surge to go ahead 32-26. Dallas closed the quarter out well. Indiana led 35-32 after a T.J. McConnell triple with thirty-six seconds left. Turner led all scorers with 14 points.

2. Second Quarter

The game would remain close the entirety of the first half. Dallas tied the game at 42 with a Josh Green dunk. Bennedict Mathurin started his big second quarter with a pullup jumper to give the Pacers the lead back. He would be the primary source of offense alongside McConnell in the first half when it comes to the bench unit. Indiana’s lead bounced between three points and six points for the next six minutes after the tie. With 1:14 left in the half, Turner kept his hot shooting alive to put Indiana up seven and then Mathurin put the team up nine on the next possession with a reverse layup. At halftime though, Indiana led 74-70. Turner led all scorers at intermission with 20 points followed by Luka Doncic with 28 points after scoring 19 points in the second.

3. Third Quarter

When the Pacers have been at their best, they have dominant third quarters. Tonight, would be the case. After leading by as much as nine points in the first half, they outscored the Mavericks 10-2 to go ahead 84-72 three minutes into the half. In totality, Indiana opened the second half on a 15-4 tun to go ahead 89-74 following an Andrew Nembhard floater. Tyrese Haliburton had scored ten of the points during that period. The most Indiana would lead in the quarter was eighteen points after Siakam made the free-throw to complete the three-point play with 5:26 left. Indiana’s advantage steadied around a dozen for the next four minutes before going back up eighteen following an Obi Toppin three-pointer. After thirty-six minutes of play, Indiana led 106-88. Doncic led all scorers with 34 points followed by Turner with 20. Indiana held the Mavericks to 18 points in the quarter.

4. Fourth Quarter

Indiana’s bench would be the story in the fourth quarter. Out of the 31 points the team scored in the fourth, the bench was responsible for 21 of those. The leader in the quarter was Ben Sheppard with nine points all from behind the arc on four attempts. Irving opened the fourth with back-to-back triples, but Sheppard countered with one of his own to maintain the large lead. Then it was Toppin with a pair of layups after Dallas trimmed the Pacer lead to thirteen points. McConnell would later deliver his second three to put Indiana ahead by twenty points for the first time in the contest with 8:14 left. Indiana’s starters would see minimal time with the game decided. Indiana ends its two-game losing streak with a big 137-120 victory.

5. Top Performers

Myles Turner (20p), Tyrese Haliburton (19p, 11a, 6r), Bennedict Mathurin (19p), Pascal Siakam (13p, 13r, 6a), T.J. McConnell (13p, 7a), Obi Toppin (14p), Ben Sheppard (12p, 4 threes), Jalen Smith (11p, 5r), Andrew Nembhard (10p, 5a). For Dallas, Luka Doncic (39p, 11a, 10r), Kyrie Irving (23p, 7r), and P.J. Washington (20p, 7r). For tonight’s full box score, click here.

6. Notes

• Indiana’s 137 points are the most in a game since 150 on January 5th in Atlanta
• First time the Pacers have had 9 players with 10+ points since 10/20/18 against Brooklyn
• First time since 1982 the Pacers have had 5 bench players with 10+ points
• Pacers bench outscored the Dallas bench 69-32
• Pacers are 18-2 this season when scoring 130+ points in a game
  • 11/22/23 – 132-131 loss to Toronto Raptors
  • 11/30/23 – 142-132 loss to Miami Heat
• Tyrese Haliburton recorded his 35th double-double
  • 37th game with 10+ assists
  • Pacers are 24-11 when Haliburton records a double-double
  • 5th game since returning from hamstring injury on 1/30 at Boston scoring 18+ points
• Myles Turner recorded 22nd game this season with 20+ points
  • Pacers are 15-7 in those games
• Pascal Siakam recorded his 9th double-double of the season
  • 4 double-double as a Pacer (one triple-double)
    • 3-1 when Siakam records a double-double
  • 14 rebounds are a season high
• Luka Doncic logged his 7th straight game with 30+ points
  • 42nd game with 30+ points
  • 14 triple-doubles on the season now
    • 36 double-doubles on the season now
  • Daniel Gafford recorded his 12th double-double of the season
    • 3rd double-double as a Dallas Maverick

7. Next Up

Indiana returns home for one game to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Pat Boylan will get things started with the Kroger Pregame Show at 6:30pm. Mark Boyle, Eddie Gill, and Pat Boylan will have the play-by-play at 7pm. All the coverage can be heard on 93.5/107.5 The Fan.