Monday, March 27 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Game Preview
If the Indiana Pacers advance to the postseason, it will be because the team took care of business on home court during its final stretch of games.
The Pacers (33-42) will kick off a three-game homestand with a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks (36-39) on Monday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Of the remaining seven games on the team’s calendar, five will be played in Indianapolis.
Both the Pacers and Mavericks are flirting with postseason berths.
As of Saturday night, following a 143-130 loss to the Atlanta Hawks (37-37), the Pacers ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference. Indiana is two and a half games back from 10th place, which is the final seed for the Play-In Tournament.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Latest Standings, Remaining Schedules, and More >>
In the Western Conference postseason race, which is shifting nightly, just two games or fewer separate seeds seven through 11. The Mavericks are 11th after being swept by the Charlotte Hornets in a home-and-home set over the weekend.
Indiana has lost two straight games and four of its last five. Against the Hawks, Jordan Nwora had a historic night by scoring 25 points in the second quarter -- the most by any Pacers player in a regular season quarter -- before finishing with a game-high 33 off the bench.
Despite Nwora’s offensive outpouring, and 19 points and 13 assists from All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers gave up at least 33 points in each quarter. Eight players scored in double digits for Indiana in the loss.
The Pacers were without Myles Turner (sore back). Chris Duarte returned after missing five games due to a sore ankle, but did not play in the second half after re-aggravating his injury. In games without Turner, the Pacers have a record of 4-9 this season.
The Mavericks have struggled lately, losing three straight while going 3-7 over their last 10 games.
Prior to the trade deadline in February, the Mavericks made a splash by adding All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. Despite the addition, the team is 6-8 this season in games Irving has played.
The Mavericks are led by phenom guard Luka Doncic. They were in jeopardy of being without him on Monday, as Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul of the season on Sunday against Charlotte and by league rules will face a one-game suspension unless the technical is rescinded. But the league announced on Monday afternoon that Doncic's technical was indeed rescinded, making him eligible to play against the Pacers.
Doncic is currently second in the NBA in scoring at 33 points per game – on 49.7 percent shooting – while also averaging 8.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
Like Indiana, Dallas likes to shoot 3-pointers, as they rank third in makes from deep while the Pacers are fifth.
After the Mavericks, the Pacers will welcome the Eastern Conference first-place Milwaukee Bucks (53-21) on Wednesday.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Bennedict Mathurin, F - Aaron Nesmith, C - Myles Turner
Mavericks: G - Luka Doncic, G - Kyrie Irving, F - Reggie Bullock, F - Josh Green, C - Dwight Powell
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton - questionable (right ankle sprain injury management), Myles Turner - questionable (sore left ankle and lower back injury management), Kendall Brown - out (right tibia stress fracture), Chris Duarte - out (sore left ankle), Buddy Hield - out (non-COVID illness)
Mavericks: Maxi Kleber - questionable (right hamstring injury recovery)
Last Meeting
Feb. 28, 2023: Securing a road win for the first time in almost two months, the Pacers held off a late Mavericks rally in a 124-122 victory at American Airlines Center.
Indiana led by 11 points with 6:11 left in the game, but then went scoreless for almost four straight minutes. The Mavericks strung together a 10-0 run to pull within reach, but missed multiple attempts to go ahead in the final minute.
Haliburton led the Pacers with 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Turner was next with 24 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Six Pacers finished in double-digit scoring.
Doncic topped the Mavericks by recording 39 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Irving finished with a stat line of 16 points, nine assists and five rebounds.
Both teams shot over 50 percent in the game, but the Pacers finished with a big advantage in the free throw department making 31 of 40 attempts while the Mavericks made 18 of 24 from the charity stripe.
Noteworthy
- Indiana and Dallas have split the season series each of the last four seasons. The last time the Pacers won the series was during the 2015-16 campaign.
- Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was the head coach of the Mavericks from 2008 to 2021. He led the team to an NBA championship in 2011.
- Dallas head coach Jason Kidd played under Carlisle from 2008 to 2012.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers tip off a three-game homestand by hosting Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday, March 27 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>