The Indiana Pacers visit the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, Nov. 9, with both teams trying to find consistency a quarter of the way into the season. Indiana enters at 3-7 and mired in a seven-game stretch without its full rotation intact, while Dallas is 5-4 and coming off a win over the Utah Jazz. Dallas leads the season series 1-0.
Both clubs are dealing with significant injury lists, and the result could hinge on which short-handed roster executes better over 48 minutes. Tip-off at American Airlines Center is set for 8 p.m. ET.
Pacers Vs Mavericks Game Information
- Date: Monday, Nov. 9
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
- TV/Streaming: KFAA-TV, MavsTV, DAZN IND
- Series: Dallas leads 1-0
Pacers Outlook
Indiana sits last in the Central Division standings at 4 games behind division-leading Detroit, with a .300 winning percentage and a current one-game losing streak. The Pacers have dropped four of their last five, including a 114-102 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 7 and a 145-125 blowout loss at the Miami Heat on Oct. 31.
Pascal Siakam leads Indiana in scoring at 21.4 points per game and rebounding at 6.6 per game, giving the Pacers their primary offensive option with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined. Haliburton is out with a left hamstring strain and carries a return date of Nov. 13, meaning he is not expected to play against Dallas. Andrew Nembhard, the team’s assists leader at 7.0 per game, is projected to continue running point in Haliburton’s absence.
T.J. McConnell is listed day-to-day with a right hamstring strain and has a return date of Nov. 9, making his availability for this game uncertain. Guards Johnny Furphy and Ben Sheppard remain out, Furphy following knee surgery and Sheppard with a left knee issue, both with a Jan. 2, 2027 return date, according to the Total Apex Sports injury crunch rotation report. Indiana’s offensive rebounding average of 9.5 per game trails Dallas by more than three boards a night, a gap that has compounded the Pacers’ shorthanded backcourt.
Mavericks Outlook
Dallas sits 2.5 games behind Southwest Division leader San Antonio with a 5-4 record and enters on a one-game winning streak after beating Utah 112-100 on Nov. 7. The Mavericks have split their last five games, with wins over Oklahoma City and Houston sandwiched around losses to Sacramento and San Antonio, the latter a one-point defeat covered in Total Apex Sports’ recap of that game.
Cooper Flagg paces Dallas in both scoring (23.9 points per game) and assists (6.4 per game), while P.J. Washington leads the team on the glass at 7.7 rebounds per game. The Mavericks are without three frontcourt and wing pieces: center Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), forward Sergio de Larrea (right knee strain) and forward Tarik Biberovic (right heel inflammation) are all out, each with a projected return date of Nov. 12. That trio’s absence has thinned Dallas’ depth up front, even though the team still holds a per-game edge over Indiana in points (112.1 to 110.3) and defensive rebounds (31.7 to 32.6 is actually Indiana’s edge, with Dallas ahead in offensive boards at 12.9 to 9.5).
Key Matchup
With Lively sidelined, Dallas’ frontcourt depth is reduced to Washington and a supporting cast that must offset Indiana’s two-point efficiency, which sits at 56.9% compared to Dallas’ 55.5%. Siakam’s interior scoring against a Mavericks front line missing Lively will test how Dallas compensates defensively in the paint.
On the other end, Indiana’s offensive rebounding rate of 9.5 per game ranks well below Dallas’ 12.9, so the Pacers need Siakam and the frontcourt to limit second-chance opportunities for a Mavericks team that has out-rebounded opponents on the offensive glass by a wide margin. How Indiana’s depleted backcourt, missing Haliburton and possibly McConnell, manages ball security against Dallas’ 8.9 steals per game will also factor into the pace of the game.
What To Watch
Indiana enters at 3-7, already four games back in the Central Division, making every result relevant to the Pacers’ early-season standing after consecutive losses to the Nets, Hawks and 76ers detailed in prior Total Apex Sports coverage, including the Nets-Pacers recap and the 76ers-Pacers game story. Dallas, meanwhile, is looking to build off its win over Utah and climb within range of the Southwest Division’s top spots.
Both injury reports will remain central storylines. McConnell’s day-to-day hamstring status and the availability of Dallas’ three sidelined frontcourt players carry return dates of Nov. 9 and Nov. 12, respectively, meaning rotations on both sides could look different again by the teams’ next matchups.
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