The Dallas Mavericks returned to action on Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers. The Mavericks lost to the Pacers, 135-131, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. Dallas fell to 33-37 and is now on a four-game losing skid, while Indiana improved to 39-29 and achieved a two-game winning streak.
PJ Washington Jr. led the Mavericks with 26 points and 5 rebounds. Jaden Hardy followed up with 24 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. Naji Marshall added 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. Kai Jones had 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 assist. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 12 assists. Max Christie recorded 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist. Kessler Edwards tallied 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. Dwight Powell posted 1 rebound and 3 assists.
Dallas Mavericks-Indiana Pacers Recap
The Dallas Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Brandon Williams with left hamstring tightness, Caleb Martin with a right hip strain, Daniel Gafford with a right knee sprain, Dante Exum with a left hand fracture, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, Klay Thompson with an illness, Kyrie Irving with a torn ACL and left knee sprain, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper with right wrist surgery.
The Indiana Pacers ruled out Isaiah Jackson, who had a torn right Achilles tendon. Indiana’s starting lineup featured Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner. And, of course, Dallas’ starting lineup featured Spencer Dinwiddie, Naji Marshall, PJ Washington Jr., Kessler Edwards, and Kai Jones.
The Pacers opened the first-quarter scoring for a 2-0 lead on a 2-point field goal. The Mavericks tied the game, 2-2, with a 2-point field goal. But the Pacers remained on top for a 33-21 lead at the end of the first quarter. Both teams’ dominance continued in the second quarter. Edwards connected for the three-pointer, while Thomas Bryant grabbed the offensive rebound and slammed it home. The Pacers took a 68-57 lead into halftime.
The Mavericks made it a close game, tied the game, and took the lead in the third quarter. Marshall had back-to-back rebounds, while Siakam buried a three-pointer for 24 points midway through the third quarter. The Mavericks took a 91-90 lead after three quarters. The Mavericks’ dominance continued in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers had other plans. Jaden Hardy hit a step-back jumper. The Pacers won 135-131 in regulation.
Mavericks-Pacers Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers game featured multiple highlights, such as The Athletic ranking the Mavericks as first place in the NBA fan misery index — higher than the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers. Luka Doncic was beloved in Dallas. Doncic was a popular player in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, a metropolitan area home to one of the most popular sports teams in the world, the Dallas Cowboys.
For the Mavericks, Josh Green detailed his opinions on Doncic’s conditioning concerns in an exclusive interview with The Sporting News. Green said of Doncic, “At the end of the day, he’s played World Cups, he’s played Olympics, back-to-back-to-back years … You have to be in pretty good shape to be able to play that.” Green’s opinion echoed the opinions of the Maverick fans.
And, for the Pacers, Sports Illustrated predicts that the Pacers will go after Daniel Gafford if Myles Turner doesn’t re-sign with the team. Turner is likely going to be the most attractive free-agent center this offseason. Chances are that teams are going to start bidding wars to sign Turner. Tyrese Haliburton would have a lob threat in Gafford as Turner leans more into the pick-and-pop than the pick-and-roll.
Final Thoughts
Quentin Grimes and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Dallas Mavericks, 130-125, in PJ Washington’s return to the American Airlines Center on Sunday. Grimes, a former Dallas Maverick, had 28 points to lead a short-handed team to a win. The Mavericks had a chance to tie the game on their final possession, but the 76ers rebounded and finished with a pair of free throws.
For the 10th time in his career, Washington Jr. recorded a 20-point first half, going 8-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line for 20 first-half points on Sunday afternoon. Washington Jr.’s 20 points tied for his second-most in the first half this season. Previously, Washington Jr. recorded 21 points against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center on December 30, 2024.
Like Dallas, Philadelphia hopes to bounce back. Both the Mavericks and the 76ers had optimism entering the 2024-25 NBA season, but their injury reports have been stealing the show. But the 76ers have a reason to lose games, as they’ll get to keep their first-round draft pick if it’s in the top six of the 2025 NBA Draft. If not, it’ll be sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a long-ago trade for Al Horford.
Max Christie has regained a much-needed assessment. After Sunday’s game, Christie told reporters he understood why his decline occurred. He said he was super confident, aggressive, and assertive upon his arrival, but those qualities slowed down. He also said Sunday’s performance — 18 points and 8 rebounds — was a “great step forward” for him.
The Dallas Mavericks outscored the 76ers 23-4 in transition and 42-20 in the paint in the first half on Sunday. The Mavericks’ 23 fastbreak points were the team’s most in any half this season and the 42 paint points were tied for their second-most in any half this year. They assigned Anthony Davis and Jaden Hardy to the G League’s Texas Legends on Monday. They’ll host the Detroit Pistons on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Central.
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