The Dallas Mavericks (6-4) have suddenly found some momentum again. Monday’s game against the Indiana Pacers (3-7) gives the Mavericks a chance to keep it going on the second night of a back-to-back set against a team they’ve already beaten once. Dallas enters at 6-4 after blowing out the Brooklyn Nets 130-93 on Sunday, while Indiana comes to town at 3-7 after falling 114-102 to Denver on Saturday. The Pacers are still without Tyrese Haliburton (left hamstring), and Dallas should have a real opportunity
to finish the homestand with a third straight win.
Here are three things the Mavericks need to do to make that happen.
Keep Kyrie hot
Kyrie Irving has started to look much more like himself, and Dallas needs that to continue.
He scored 21 points against Brooklyn and looked comfortable getting to his spots without needing to dominate the ball. That balance is important. Dallas is at its best when Cooper Flagg controls possessions as a playmaker while Kyrie picks his spots, attacks mismatches, and gives the Mavericks a reliable scorer whenever the offense stalls.
The Pacers have some capable perimeter defenders, but this is still a matchup Kyrie should be able to attack. Indiana is already missing the guard who normally controls so much of its offense, and Dallas has a chance to put even more pressure on them if Kyrie gets going early.
The Mavericks do not need him taking 25 shots every night. They just need this version of Kyrie, efficient, aggressive, and capable of completely changing a game when Dallas needs a bucket.
Do it again
Dallas already knows this matchup can work.
The Mavericks scored 44 points in the first quarter and took a 77-43 lead into halftime the first time these teams met before eventually winning 121-105. Flagg played only 17 minutes before leaving with a shoulder injury, but Dallas had already taken complete control of the game.
Indiana should be better prepared this time, but the same advantages remain. Without Haliburton, the Pacers lose the player who normally runs the offense and pushes the pace. Pascal Siakam remains their biggest threat, while Ivica Zubac gives them size inside, but Dallas should feel good about its ability to create better shots.
The Mavericks have to avoid assuming the first meeting means anything automatically, but if they move the ball and defend with the same energy, this should be another favorable matchup.
Keep attacking the paint
The best part of the Brooklyn win was how easily Dallas generated offense around the rim.
The Mavericks scored 64 points in the paint, with Flagg repeatedly getting downhill and finding cutters or Daniel Gafford once the defense collapsed. Gafford finished with 18 points, and Dallas looked much more dangerous offensively when it was creating inside-out rather than settling for jumpers.
That should be the goal again Monday.
Indiana has size, but Dallas has enough creators to keep putting pressure on the defense. Flagg getting into the middle of the floor opens everything else, especially when Washington and the guards are ready to shoot, and Gafford is available as a lob threat.
When Dallas gets consistent paint touches, the offense looks completely different.
Avoid the back-to-back letdown
This is probably the biggest concern.
Dallas played Sunday night and now has to turn around and play Monday again, while Indiana had Sunday off. The good news is the Brooklyn game was basically over early enough for Dusty May to avoid running his starters into the ground.
Flagg played fewer than 30 minutes, and the bench handled much of the fourth quarter.
That should help, but Dallas still cannot come out sleepwalking. Indiana has enough veteran talent to punish a flat start, and Siakam can carry the offense if Dallas lets him get comfortable.
The Mavericks have looked much better over the last few games. Monday is a chance to prove the momentum is real, not just the product of playing Utah and Brooklyn.
How to watch
The Mavericks and the Pacers will tip at 7:30 p.m. on Monday from American Airlines Center. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and on sister stations throughout the Mavericks’ regional viewership area. You can catch the stream on MavsTV or on NBA League Pass where available. The radio broadcast can be heard on KRLD 105.3 The Fan.
