Matchup
After returning to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for one night, the Pacers (20-23) hit the road again this weekend, heading to Dallas on Friday night for a matchup with Luka Doncic and the Mavericks (23-19).
Indiana ended a six-game home losing streak on Wednesday with a 116-111 win over Detroit. Caris LeVert had a breakout performance in the victory, scoring 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting (4-of-7 from 3-point range) to go along with six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. It was LeVert's best game in seven contests as a Pacer, and he capped it off with a game-sealing three in the closing seconds.
LeVert told the media afterwards that he is slowly growing more comfortable with his conditioning as he gets more games under his belt. LeVert sat out nearly two months after being traded from Brooklyn to Indiana because he needed surgery to treat renal cell carcinoma in his left kidney.
"It's hard to replicate anything about a real NBA game," LeVert said. "You can run as many sprints as you want. You could ride the bike as long as you want. But when you're running up and down, running off screens, guarding people, you can't replicate that."
The Mavericks are led by All-Star guard Luka Doncic, who finished fourth in MVP voting last season in his second NBA season and is making a strong case for the honor once again. Doncic, who turned 22 on Feb. 28, ranks fifth in the league in scoring (28.6 points per game), fourth in assists (9.1), and 18th in rebounding (8.3).
Doncic has had several high-scoring games in the past week. He dropped 42 points against the Clippers last week, then followed up by scoring 38 and 37 points in a two-games series in Portland over the weekend. He scored 15 points, but played just 27 minutes in a blowout win in Minnesota on Wednesday night.
Projected Starters
Malcolm Brogdon
Caris LeVert
Justin Holiday
Domantas Sabonis
Myles Turner
Luka Doncic
Josh Richardson
Dorian Finney-Smith
Maxi Kleber
Kristaps Porzingis
Pacers: PG - Malcolm Brogdon, SG - Caris LeVert, SF - Justin Holiday, PF - Domantas Sabonis, C - Myles Turner
Mavericks: PG - Luka Doncic, SG - Josh Richardson, SF - Dorian Finney-Smith, PF - Maxi Kleber, C - Kristaps Porzingis
Injury Report
Pacers: T.J. Warren - out (left foot stress fracture)
Mavericks: Luka Doncic - doubtful (lower back tightness), Willie Cauley-Stein - out (health and safety protocols), Nicolo Melli - out (not with team), JJ Redick - out (sore right heel), Tyrell Terry - out (personal reasons)
Last Meeting
Jan. 20, 2021: The Mavericks spoiled Jeremy Lamb's return as Dallas held off Indiana at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 124-112.
Lamb finished with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, two rebounds, and two steals in 19 minutes in his first game in nearly 11 months, making an emotional return to the court after tearing his ACL in Feb. 2020.
"I think I was more surprised about my wind," Lamb said after the game. "I felt like I wasn't as tired as I thought I was going to be...My first couple shots were close to the basket. That definitely helped to give me some confidence."
Malcolm Brogdon led Indiana with 26 points and five assists in the loss. Domantas Sabonis added 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds to record his 14th straight double-double to open the season.
Porzingis recorded a double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds for Dallas. Burke added 22 points while going 4-for-8 from 3-point range, while Hardaway and Brunson each added 19 points. 21-year-old phenom Luka Doncic was just 5-for-15 from the field, but tallied 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers and Mavericks have split their season series in each of the last two seasons.
- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle coached the Pacers from 2003-07. He ranks 16th all time with 817 career wins, including 181 in Indiana.
- Pacers center Myles Turner has blocked at least one shot in 58 consecutive games, the longest streak in the NBA. A player has put together a streak of 60 or more games with a block just 20 times in the last four decades.
Tickets
A limited number of tickets for all upcoming Pacers home games from March 17 - April 21 are now on sale. Tickets for the final nine regular season home games will go on sale on Monday, April 19. Single Game Tickets » Health & Safety Guidelines »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (studio host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)