Bold takeaway: Dallas finally breaks its dreaded skid, but the path to victory came with sparks and controversy around who carried the load. And this is the part most people miss: one strong performance by Middleton isn’t the whole story—the Mavericks relied on a balanced attack and a high-scoring pace to edge the Pacers in a tight shootout.
The Mavericks’ star, Khris Middleton, delivered 25 points, while P.J. Washington added 23 as Dallas defeated Indiana 134-130, snapping a 10-game losing streak. Middleton also contributed seven rebounds and seven assists, and six Mavericks reached double figures, underscoring the team-wide scoring effort. Washington grabbed nine rebounds, and Marvin Bagley III logged a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. This victory ended Dallas’s longest slide since the 1997-98 season, and it marked their first win since January 22 against Golden State.
Indiana’s All-Star forward Pascal Siakam returned from a three-game absence and led the Pacers with 30 points and eight rebounds. Andrew Nembhard tallied 22 points and 11 assists, while Jarace Walker added 18 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Kobe Brown contributed a career-high 15 points as Indiana slipped to 0-3 after the All-Star break, also losing its first home game since February 3—a stretch tied with the franchise’s longest home-stand drought in NBA history.
Indiana faced additional challenges: Aaron Nesmith (injury), Ivica Zubac (injury-related absence after a recent trade), and T.J. McConnell missed the action, and coach Rick Carlisle disclosed that Tyrese Haliburton is dealing with shingles. Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg sat out for the third straight game with a sprained left foot, meaning he did not make his first Indianapolis appearance of the season.
What happened on the floor mattered too. Dallas led for most of the night, starting 36-33 after the first period and 71-66 at halftime. A decisive 12-3 run in the third quarter pushed Dallas ahead 94-84. Indiana trimmed the margin to 117-114 in the fourth, but the Pacers couldn’t reclaim the lead.
Upcoming schedules:
- Mavericks visit Brooklyn on Tuesday hoping to string together a second consecutive win.
- Pacers aim for their first win after the break on Tuesday as they host the 76ers.
