INDIANAPOLIS — The NBA’s 80th season was still in its infancy stage the last time the Mavericks played against the Indiana Pacers in late October.
Dallas was headlined by Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis, with the hope that Kyrie Irving would return from a torn left ACL in time for a potential playoff run.
The Pacers were four games into their new life without Tyrese Haliburton, who is sidelined for the entire season with a right Achilles tendon tear.
Irving has since permanently joined Haliburton on this season’s injury report after the Mavericks announced he would focus on his rehabilitation from surgery for the final 27 games.
Mavericks
The absence of both lead guards is a primary reason why the runners-up from the previous two NBA Finals have struggled to stay competitive in their respective conferences, which made Sunday’s matchup less than desirable, but a game the Mavericks absolutely needed to right their worst losing streak since 1998.
The Mavericks snapped their 10-game skid with a 134-130 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, providing a much-needed boost for team morale in a season decimated by injuries.
Dallas’ first victory in exactly a month comes at a time when the schedule lightens, with looming games against Brooklyn, Sacramento and Memphis. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said the Mavericks will remain in Indianapolis to practice on Monday since a blizzard in New York City has delayed their travel plans ahead of Tuesday’s game in Brooklyn.
The Mavericks are seemingly headed for another year in the draft lottery without Irving. The Pacers have produced the worst record in the Eastern Conference and second-worst in the NBA without Haliburton.
Before the game, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle described the importance of elite guard play in the NBA.
“There’s no substitute for playmakers,” said Carlisle, who coached the Mavericks from 2008 to 2021. “In Dallas, we had a lot of success over a 13-year period with Jason Kidd, [J.J.] Barea and Devin Harris, who’s sitting right here. It’s just so important to have guys who can make plays and can score, but can also control the game. They can help a team play both fast and be able to work the game a little bit when necessary.”
The absences of both All-Star point guards have contributed to Dallas’ and Indiana’s woeful offenses, which rank 26th and 30th in the NBA, respectively. The Mavericks were 17th in the league in 2024-25 even though Irving missed the final 20 games of the season.
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When asked Thursday about Irving’s decision to delay his anticipated return until next season, Kidd said maximizing the 33-year-old’s long-term health is the goal.
“We want to make sure he’s ready to go for next season,” Kidd said. “For him, at practice, some of the things that he’s working on, he looks good. I think as we get into March and April, we want him to keep going in the right direction.”
The Pacers finished ninth in the NBA in offensive rating with Haliburton leading their fast-paced style of play. Carlisle also revealed Haliburton has come down with a case of shingles and will not be with the team for two to three weeks.
“Tyrese is a savant type of guy,“ Carlisle said. ”He proved that in last year’s playoffs. He really proved it the last two years. We certainly miss him very much.
“Trying to survive at a high level without a guy like that is extremely difficult.”
Dallas has missed Irving as well and Kidd has attempted to weather the storm by using a combination of players at the lead guard spot, including Flagg, Brandon Williams, two-way Ryan Nembhard, newcomer Tyus Jones and even forward Naji Marshall.
After starting Jones, a traditional pass-first point guard, in Friday’s loss at Minnesota, Kidd went back to a first unit with Marshall at the point next to Max Christie, who returned from a left ankle sprain.
The result was efficient despite the lack of a lead guard. Dallas finished shooting 54.3% from the field and 39.3% from beyond the arc with 29 assists. After starting the game with five turnovers, the Mavericks protected the ball and finished with just 11 giveaways on Sunday.
“It was great,” Kidd said. “I thought the ball-moving, execution was really good on both ends, defensively and offensively. I know we gave up 130. Indiana’s a good team and they play hard.”
The injury report coming into the game listed 22 players. Kidd knows firsthand how injuries can change a team’s circumstances, especially since the Mavericks have been plagued by the absences of Irving and Dereck Lively II for the majority of the year.
“Indiana was just in the Finals last season, but the injuries, which we both know quite well, can put your team in a different category,” Kidd said. “Haliburton means a lot to them. … They’re looking forward to next season just as we are.”
For now, the Mavericks will use the rest of the season to evaluate their roster to figure out who best fits around rookie star in Flagg, who missed his third straight game with a left midfoot sprain.
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