Pacers find their groove and get total team effort in second win over Mavericks
The Pacers picked up their 35th win in Dallas. A big third quarter, nine of 10 players scored in double figures and Luka Doncic's big night was not enough.
After losing three of their past four games, looking out of sync and in a rut, the Indiana Pacers got just the performance they needed Tuesday night in Dallas.
They scored at least 31 points in all four quarters, outscored the Mavericks by 14 points in the third quarter while stringing together stops, and had nine of 10 players in the rotation reach double figures in a 137-120 win.
It’s their highest output since scoring 150 points in a Jan. 5 win over the Hawks.
They beat the Mavericks for the second time in six games for the season sweep.
They went 1-2 on the road trip with losses in New Orleans and San Antonio.
They’ll return home for their next game, starting a stretch with four of their next six games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
At 35-28, they're 8th in the East with 19 games left in the regular season.
Let’s examine how they picked up win No. 35.
The Start
Too much is often made of both how a team starts a game and which five players.
A good start can be overrated, but a bad start will set you back. And considering the state of the Pacers over the last four games, just not looking like themselves, the first quarter was a necessary tone-setter.
By the end of it, they were positive, up three after going for 35 points.
This was after falling behind by double digits during the first quarter of their last two games, and more than twice their output in San Antonio (16 points).
Back home in Dallas, where he plays with a different disposition, Myles Turner scored nine of their first 13 points and had 14 after the first quarter. Again, nearly as much as the entire roster scored in the first quarter of last game.
Turner was aggressive, decisive, and won his matchup inside. He finished with 20 points — all in the first half. (He was 0 for 4 in the second half. I would’ve liked to see him get more touches.)
Mavs starting center Dereck Lively II was a non-factor in the game and that was in large part to him picking up two fouls in the first five minutes.
After the first quarter, the Pacers had four 3s (after six all of last game), 10 assists on 11 field goals, and rookie Ben Sheppard looked sharped in his return to the lineup.
Welcome Back, Shep
Sheppard was fortunate: he didn’t have to witness their loss in San Antonio. That’s because he didn’t travel with the team from New Orleans, instead staying in his hotel and then joining them in Dallas after having strep throat for the second time in about 10 weeks.
“That was really bad,” he said of his first time dealing with it in late December, costing him a game at the G League Showcase.
It was obvious how much the Pacers missed a shooting threat on the wing. Buddy Hield was traded, Doug McDermott remains on the injury list and Sheppard had also been sidelined. Then in his return, he made an instant impact with a 3-pointer and five rebounds in his first minutes.
He ended up making 4 of 6 3s for 12 points to be a threat on the perimeter, provide needed scoring, be another hard-playing guard. He also did his part defensively. He’s a smart, active two-way player and his play becomes contagious.
So does his joy for the game — and that piece had been missing recently.
Not bad for a rookie left out of the Rising Stars game.
Haliburton Exhales
The Pacers’ start to the second half appeared to be appropriately scripted. After just four points each from Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton in the first half, the start of the quarter nearly got Siakam a layup. It didn’t work, but the thought was there.
The next possession, after a Siakam block, Haliburton grabbed the rebound and scored a layup on the other end. Then a minute later, he finally saw a 3-pointer go down and let out a huge sigh of relief that you could feel back in Indy.
He’s not going to sugarcoat it when he’s not playing well — and he hadn’t been playing well. There’s a multitude of factors — starting with his health and including a lack of a true All-Star break — but he’s not going to make excuses.
Instead, his skills trainer Drew Hanlen flew into Dallas on Tuesday to work with him. Along with friend and Pacers player development coach Isaac Yacob, Hanlen is someone Haliburton trusts most about his game. They were supposed to have a full week together in January, but then he got hurt. Hanlen frequently sends him film and notes, as well as motivational halftime texts when he needs it.
Haliburton won’t be 100% until after the season; that’s just how it goes with hamstring injuries, especially without having significant time off. Haliburton played more freely, purposefully didn’t force things early on as he piled up assists, and then he finally saw that layup go down.
It was a huge weight off his back.
Remember how he made five straight 3-pointers in the All-Star game? Before Tuesday’s win, he had shot 5 of 31 from range over the last five games — including going 0 for 6 in each of their last two games.
In this one, he finished with 19 points, six rebounds and 11 assists in 32 minutes.
All-Around Team Performance
I thought it was noteworthy how often the broadcast mentioned how the Pacers wanted to play faster in this one. I lost count, but of course they do. That, however, told me that it’s being emphasized even more, especially given recent offensive struggles.
While they were outscored 20-10 in fast break points, the pace of the game favored the Pacers. In particular, they locked down defensively and it paid dividends.
The Mavericks were kept to 18 points in the third quarter, finishing 6 of 23 from the field with four turnovers after a 2 for 14 start. That’s where the Pacers took full control of the game.
Throughout the whole game, the Pacers’ reserves played a big role. The bench outscored the Mavs’ 69-32 as all five bench players reached double figures.
They're 5-0 this season with eight players in double figures and 17-4 with at least seven.
Bennedict Mathurin scored 19 points, T.J. McConnell had another impactful performance as he excelled on the road trip, Obi Toppin scored 14, Jalen Smith had 11 & 5, and I already touched on Sheppard.
While Haliburton and Siakam were slower to get going, these five helped them to a 74-point first half and to hold off another special performance by Luka Doncic.
Luka finished with 39 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to become just the third player to record three straight 30-point triple-doubles, joining Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson.
This was a good team win for the Pacers that they needed to bring home with them after a poor last two outings. Next up is the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves (43-19) on Thursday.
Other Notes
The Pacers have won four of their last five games at the American Airlines Center.
They improved to 31-4 this season when taking a double-digit lead, and they’re 6-3 when committing less than 10 turnovers (9).
Carlisle won an easy challenge seven minutes into the game. It was so obvious that it shouldn’t have been necessary, but it saved Aaron Nesmith’s second foul and became a personal foul on Daniel Gafford.
Josh Green’s illegal screen on Nesmith was upgraded to a Flagrant 1 with 7:58 left in the third quarter.
It was not just a homecoming for Turner, who’s from the Dallas area. It’s also the third reunion game for Pacers coaches Mike Weinar, Jenny Boucek, and Zach Chu — all of whom came with Carlisle to Indiana.
Doug McDermott, a Mav for 26 games during the 2017-18 season, missed his fourth straight game with a right calf strain.
In the stands: Former Cowboys quarterback and current CBS’ lead football analyst Tony Romo. He sat near the Pacers’ bench and could be seen talking with Carlisle several times.
Official attendance: 20,200 — a sellout.
the fact that this is TEAM game not an individual game (like tennis or golf) is what wins for the Pacers this year. When everyone is involved and engaged they do well. In the Pascal era it seems like he's the main focus and the rest of the team is put on the back burner. Look at who gets interviews, sent to the podium, who the ball stops with. He gets the ball and it becomes iso ball, not Pacer ball. Also a two man game Pascal & Hali needs supporting cast to function, like last night. Opponent stars can shine but if they don't have the support of a TEAM they can't carry the full load.