Game Recap
After a whirlwind week on the West Coast, the Pacers were back on their home floor on Wednesday night, opening a four-game homestand against the Dallas Mavericks.
But the friendly confines of Bankers Life Fieldhouse — complete with a small contingent of fans for the first time this season — wasn't enough to overcome a big offensive night by Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.
The 21-year-old phenom recorded his fifth triple-double of the season, while Kristaps Porzingis scored a team-high 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting as Dallas (7-7) held off Indiana (8-6), 124-112.
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.
"They just made more shots and we weren't great in our defensive coverage," Sabonis said after the loss.
The Pacers didn't have an answer for the Mavericks in the first quarter on Wednesday night. Dallas shot 64 percent in the opening frame, with Porzingis scoring 10 quick points, Trey Burke scoring 12 points off the bench, and Doncic dishing out four of the Mavs' 10 assists.
Dallas led 37-22 in the final minute of the first quarter, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Sabonis and T.J. McConnell trimmed the Pacers' deficit to single digits entering the second quarter.
Jeremy Lamb, making his return to the court for the first time since tearing the ACL in his left knee on Feb. 23, 2020, gave Indiana a nice boost off the bench in the first half. Lamb checked in for the first time in the closing minute of the first quarter. He scored five points in his first stint on the court, converting a three-point play on a drive and later adding a one-handed floater from the baseline.
Indiana managed to climb within three at 47-44 by the midway point of the second quarter. But Dallas used a 12-5 run to push its lead back to double digits.
Lamb checked back in and sparked another Pacers surge. He hit a jumper and a 3-pointer as Indiana closed the first half with a 10-2 run to make it a 65-63 game at the intermission.
"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."
Doncic scored on the first possession of the second half, but the Pacers answered with seven straight points, taking their first lead of the night on Edmond Sumner's 3-pointer with 9:44 remaining in the third quarter.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Porzingis scored seven straight by himself to put the Mavs back in front. Dallas led 84-76 before the Pacers mounted another charge, this time buoyed by Brogdon.
Brogdon scored eight straight Indiana points during a 15-4 run. His 3-pointer gave the Blue & Gold an 89-88 lead with 1:29 remaining in the frame, then he connected with Justin Holiday on an alley-oop 24 seconds later to push the lead to three.
A Porzingis three-point play tied the game before Sabonis hit one of two free throws. Jalen Brunson's floater in the closing seconds of the frame gave the visitors a narrow 93-92 lead entering the fourth quarter.
The Pacers briefly retook the lead on Holiday's layup 18 seconds into the final frame. But the Mavericks, who had started the night just 5-for-21 from 3-point range, suddenly caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down three straight threes during an 11-1 run.
"That was big," Brogdon said of the sequence. "We weren't able to recover from that."
Tim Hardaway Jr.'s dunk gave him 10 points in the fourth quarter and pushed Dallas' lead to 117-103 with 6:11 remaining. The Pacers never seriously threatened the rest of the way.
Doug McDermott finished with 16 points and eight rebounds for Indiana. Aaron Holiday added 13 points off the bench, while brother Justin added 10.
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.
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.
Doncic was just 5-for-15 from the field, but tallied 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Indiana continues a four-game homestand by hosting the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
Inside the Numbers
A late rebound allowed Sabonis to secure his 14th double-double in as many games, breaking his own franchise record for most consecutive NBA games recording a double-double. Hall of Famer Mel Daniels holds the overall franchise record with 19 straight games with a double-double in the ABA from Dec. 2, 1968 to Jan. 8, 1969.
The Pacers went 16-for-39 (41 percent) from 3-point range and outscored the Mavericks by 24 points from beyond the arc. Sabonis, who had missed his last 12 3-point attempts, went 3-for-4 from 3-point range on Wednesday. Aaron Holiday was 3-for-7.
Only in his third NBA season, Doncic already has 30 career triple-doubles, tied with Ben Simmons for 14th place on the league's all-time charts.
With Doncic leading the way, Dallas was extremely efficient offensively, tallying 32 assists and just 10 turnovers.
The Mavericks' 37 points in the first quarter were the most by a Pacers opponent in the opening frame and the second-most points the Pacers have allowed in any quarter this season. The Clippers scored 39 points in the third quarter in their win over Indiana on Sunday.
You Can Quote Me On That
"That's the game plan, to make those guys (other than Doncic) beat us. And tonight they did. They made shots." -Brogdon on the Mavericks' offense
"Everybody has to step their energy up and play a bigger role defensively. Because Myles is such a presence at the rim, blocking shots, rebounding the ball, just his presence in the game discourages people from driving to the rim. That's what we haven't had. Our help defense has to be even better." -Brogdon on how the absence of Myles Turner impacts Indiana's defense
"It's been a long process. I had a lot going through my head. I was nervous, anxious, just wanted to help the team. Just a lot of different emotions, but I was really excited.” -Lamb on his emotions checking into the game for the first time
"I thought he was good. His size out there...I thought he was making the right plays. He was steady and smooth like we talked about pregame. I thought his conditioning was pretty good for not playing in a long time." -Bjorkgren on Lamb
"He's a warrior and he's a worker. Jeremy has been a complete professional about his rehab and his approach trying to get back on the court, trying to get healthy, and it shows. He was ready tonight. I think he played better than I've ever seen a guy coming back (from a major injury). After being out a year and coming back from an ACL, he played really well tonight." -Brogdon on Lamb's return
Stat of the Night
The Mavericks outscored Indiana 68-48 in points in the paint on Wednesday. It was the most points the Pacers have allowed in the paint by a Pacers opponent this season.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers were without starting center Myles Turner for the second straight game due to an avulsion fracture in his right hand. Turner will not need surgery and is considered day-to-day.
- The Mavericks have won two straight games and three of their last four at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
- After playing 16 minutes on Sunday in his first game back from an ankle sprain, second-year center Goga Bitadze did not see the court on Wednesday by coach's decision.
Up Next
The Pacers continue their four-game homestand by hosting Nikola Vucevic and the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 22 at 7:00 PM ET.
Tickets
A limited number of tickets for upcoming Pacers home games from Jan. 24 through March 4 are now on sale. Single Game Tickets » Health & Safety Guidelines »