Game Rewind: Pacers 105, Mavericks 132

The Pacers hoped to pick up a win for their head coach on Saturday night in Rick Carlisle's return to Dallas. Luka Doncic, however, had other ideas.

Dallas' 22-year-old phenom racked up 30 points, six rebounds, and 12 assists as the Mavericks (29-21) led wire to wire and pulled away in the second half to knock off a Pacers (18-33) team on the second night of a back-to-back, 132-105.

It was an emotional night for Carlisle, returning to the arena where he coached the Mavericks for 13 seasons from 2008-21, leading Dallas to the only NBA championship in franchise history in 2011. Dallas honored Carlisle with a two-and-a-half minute video tribute during pregame introductions. As the crowd rose for a standing ovation at the end of the tribute, Carlisle wiped away tears.

"The only other time I've felt that kind of emotional moment was when we raised the (championship) banner the first game of the (2011-12) season," Carlisle said. "It was the same kind of feeling. But I was not expecting anything like that (tribute video).

"It was a wonderful gesture. Very much appreciated."

Domantas Sabonis did his best to try to secure a win for his coach. Despite coming off a sprained ankle and having logged 44 minutes in Friday's overtime victory in Oklahoma City, Indiana's All-Star big man was sensational on Saturday. Sabonis tallied 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, 15 boards, and eight assists in 29 minutes.

But Doncic was even more dominant for Dallas, a storyline that prevailed throughout Saturday's contest.

Sabonis went to work early, scoring Indiana's first eight points on Saturday night. But it wasn't enough to combat a scorching start by Doncic.

Dallas' All-NBA guard scored or assisted on eight of Dallas' first nine field goals, racking up 13 points and three assists over the first seven minutes of Saturday's contest. Doncic's third three of the night with 5:10 remaining in the opening quarter pushed the Mavs' lead to 24-12.

The Pacers fought back with seven straight points, but the Mavs built their lead back up to double digits by the end of the frame. The hosts carried a 34-23 advantage into the second quarter.

Duane Washington Jr. sparked a Pacers charge at the start of the ensuing frame. The two-way guard scored on a layup 13 seconds into the quarter, knocked down a three at 11:16, drove baseline and threw down a two-hand slam at 10:25, then drilled another trey from the left wing at 9:26. The rookie's 10-point outburst pulled Indiana within five at 43-38.

The margin hovered around that mark for most of the remainder of the first half. Indiana got within two on Justin Holiday's baseline dunk with 2:27 remaining, but Reggie Bullock answered with a three on the other end to keep the Mavs in front. Chris Duarte's hook shot made it a one-possession game again at 60-57 with 1:33 to play, but Bullock scored six more as Dallas reeled off a 9-0 run.

Caris LeVert hit a three with 6.6 seconds left to seemingly bring the Blue & Gold back within single digits at the half, but Doncic weaved his way down the floor and drilled a stepback three over Holiday in the left corner at the halftime buzzer to give the hosts a 72-60 lead.

Doncic and the Mavs picked up where they left off at the beginning of the third quarter, reeling off eight straight points early in the frame to extend their lead to 82-64.

The Pacers trailed by 14 at 94-80 following rookie Isaiah Jackson's 3-pointer with 2:12 remaining in the third quarter, but once again Dallas closed a period with a flourish. Bullock hit two more threes as the Mavs reeled off 10 straight points to close the frame.

Both Carlisle and new Mavericks coach Jason Kidd cleared their benches in the fourth quarter with the outcome seemingly determined. After Indiana got within 16, Kidd went back to Doncic and a few others with 4:09 to play and they reeled off a quick 6-0 run in less than a minute to ice the game.

Washington finished with 22 points off the bench for the Blue & Gold, going 9-for-17 from the field and 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.

"The guys believe in me, coaches believe in me," Washington said of his strong performance. "Just wanted to go out there, be aggressive, make my presence known, and just play my game."

Fellow rookie reserve Jackson added 12 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Among the starters, LeVert tallied 14 points and four assists in the loss, while Duarte added 12.

Bullock had 23 points for the Mavericks off the bench, going 8-for-11 from the field and 6-for-8 from 3-point range. Maxi Kleber recorded a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson chipped in 13 points and eight assists.

After playing seven of their last eight games on the road, the Pacers will return to the friendly confines of Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a three-game homestand next week. Indiana will host the Clippers on Monday, the Magic on Wednesday, and the Bulls on Friday.

Sabonis registered his 34th double-double of the season on Saturday, the most in the Eastern Conference. He was just two assists shy of collecting a triple-double on two straight nights.

Playing just his 19th career game, Washington topped 20 points for the third time in January and set a new career high, narrowly surpassing his 21-point performance on Monday night in New Orleans.

After seeing a six-game double-digit scoring streak snapped on Friday, Duarte bounced back on Saturday, scoring 12 points in just 22 minutes on 5-of-11 shooting.

Dallas had just five turnovers on Saturday, the fewest giveaways by a Pacers opponent this season.

The Mavs outscored Indiana by 21 points from beyond the arc. Dallas went 16-for-34 (47.1 percent) from 3-point range, while the Pacers were just 9-for-33 (27.3 percent).

"That's a team that's got a real chance not only to come out of the West, but they're a real contender. They're very, very good and we obviously didn't have our best game." -Carlisle on the Mavericks

"If he's not the best player in the world, he's right on the cusp. He's so, so good. I've always had such great respect for his talent and everything about his game and him as a person, too." -Carlisle on Doncic

"It was awesome. He had a hell of a career here with them. Just to see him get emotional like that, see how much it means to him, it shows what a big impact on the community and the city and the team and everyone here. It was awesome to be a part of it." -Sabonis on the reception for Carlisle

"Just trying to take as much as I can and learn from it and apply it to the next game. For me, it's just building. I'm learning every single game, every single day." -Washington on getting consistent playing time this month

The Pacers' past two losses have been by 27 and 32 points (a 158-126 defeat to Charlotte on Wednesday). Just one of Indiana's first 31 losses this season was by 20 or more points.

The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to tip off a three-game homestand against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, Jan. 31 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »