Three takeaways from Indiana Pacers road win over Dallas Mavericks with 137 points
The Indiana Pacers got back on track Tuesday night, taking down the Dallas Mavericks for a much-needed road win. The Pacers had previously lost two straight uninspiring games and didn't look like themselves.
On Tuesday, they played like the team everyone is familiar with. Indiana scored 137 points and eclipsed 30 in each frame, punishing a flimsy Dallas defense all night. They shot well from deep and took care of the ball on their way to victory.
"Offensively, obviously we got it going a little bit," Pacers assistant coach Mike Weinar said during a halftime interview on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast of the game. At the time, Indiana was up by four, and Weinar noted that they needed to be better on defense.
In the third period, they were — conceding just 18 points. The Pacers lead was over 10 points the rest of the way as they rolled to their 35th win. They needed it after an ugly road trip to that point.
The blue and gold held on for a 17-point victory, sweeping the season series against the Mavericks. Given Indiana's current fight for seeding in the Eastern Conference, it was an important get-right win.
Because the Pacers got back on track in a big way and scored a ton of points, their takeaways from the game largely came on the offensive end. When they can score like that, they are hard to beat.
The Pacers bench was great, especially early in the fourth quarter
Indiana's second unit was terrific on Tuesday night. They scored 69 points, and all five reserves who were in the playing rotation scored at least 10 points. The Mavs bench, meanwhile, put just 32 on the scoreboard.
Bennedict Mathurin scored 14 points in the first half. Jalen Smith got going on offense and reached double figures for the first time in nearly a month. Obi Toppin and Ben Sheppard were reliable, as they have often been of late. T.J. McConnell led the show.
"They've been big for us," Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said of the second unit during an on-court postgame interview on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast of the game. The five-man lineup comprising all five Indiana reserves was +2 in 6.5 minutes.
Being able to survive for that long with zero starters on the floor is a blessing. The bench had its most important stretch early in the fourth quarter. They played for 4:32 and only were outscored by three points — but the group across from them featured both Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Indiana's reserves being able to keep up sealed the result of the game.
Myles Turner set the tone
The Pacers starting center got Indiana off to the start they needed. Turner scored 11 points in the first 5:16 of action as the Pacers kept up with the Mavs, and he scored 20 points in the first half.
Dallas had 70 first half points, and Doncic was already up to 28. He is unstoppable at his best and was dominant the opening two quarters. But Turner was keeping pace. The big man had 20 of his own, and Indiana had already scored 74 points.
That set the tone for the blue and gold's offensive play for the night. They scored 63 points in the second half while the Mavericks had just 50. Turner's team rolled thanks to his strong start.
"Keeping the game simple. Trying to make the right plays every single time," Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin said of his team's first-half play during an interview on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast. Turner was a big part of that.
The veteran center has had his way with Dallas this season. He did so again on Tuesday to earn a victory.
Indiana grabbed a much-needed win
Winning a game is hardly a takeaway, but the Pacers needed a feel-good result in the worst way. They lost their prior two games over the weekend to the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans, but the nature of those defeats were noteworthy.
The Pacers scored a total of 207 points in those outings, their lowest total of the season across two games. Star guard Tyrese Haliburton struggled both times, and Indiana didn't move the ball well. They looked off.
Tuesday, they looked like themselves and cruised to a victory, which was important for the mentality of the group. They played with joy and showed off a familiar style.
"Just figure out how we can have fun," Haliburton said. He personally had his best game of the road trip by a fair amount and escaped a slump. "Finally. Like I said, it can't rain forever. The game balances out," he noted.
Haliburton and the Pacers are 35-28 and host the Minnesota Timberwolves tomorrow.
- Sources: Indiana Pacers signing forward Kendall Brown to three-year contract. CLICK HERE. Quenton Jackson is getting a two-way deal with the Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Ben Sheppard is earning trust of Indiana Pacers with his hard play and quality performances. CLICK HERE.
- Pascal Siakam shows increased comfort level with Indiana Pacers in February win over New Orleans Pelicans. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers offense clicks as they get back on track with an important road win over Dallas Mavericks. CLICK HERE.
- Follow AllPacers on Facebook: All Pacers SI
- Follow AllPacers on Twitter: @SIPacers
