INDIANAPOLIS — A trio of fans waited in the frigid 20-degree weather outside of the historic St. Elmo Steak House on Sunday night with notebooks in hand, hoping to secure autographs from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks held a team dinner at the historic restaurant in downtown Indianapolis following their first win in exactly a month, but the impromptu gathering was added to the itinerary thanks to an extra night in town.
For the second time this season, inclement weather could place an NBA game involving the Mavericks in jeopardy of being postponed.
Dallas is scheduled to play the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Tuesday, but a massive blizzard that descended upon New York City over the weekend has delayed their travel until Tuesday at the latest.
Mavericks
The winter storm has intensified across New York City and thousands of flights have been canceled across the Northeast, leaving the Mavericks temporarily stranded in Indianapolis and the Nets, who played the Hawks on Sunday, stuck in Atlanta.
“It’s not ideal, but everything presents a new set of challenges,” Max Christie told The Dallas Morning News. “We’re enjoying our time here being able to be tighter and kind of have some camaraderie. It’s not ideal to stay here, but we can’t do anything about it. No point complaining.”
The Mavericks’ were supposed to leave Indianapolis International Airport on Monday shortly after 2 p.m., but the team announced they will spend another night in town. The Nets are reportedly planning to fly to New York on Tuesday morning.
What was supposed to be a practice day for the Mavericks in New York on Monday turned into a practice day at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University.
“This group has seen a lot here. Just being pros about it,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. “The weather is out of our control. Safety first. If there’s a game tomorrow to be played, we’ll be ready to play.”
Just last month, the Mavericks found themselves in a similar predicament when a winter storm struck North Texas and prevented their plane from taking off for a flight to Milwaukee. Their game against the Bucks, originally scheduled for Jan. 25, was postponed to March 31.
“Hopefully there is a game because I don’t know in our calendar where we can fit in another game,” Kidd said after Sunday’s win.
It’s been an eventful weekend in Indianapolis for the Mavericks. Rookie forward Cooper Flagg made an appearance at Indy Card Exchange on Saturday, as part of a sponsored event called “Topps Rip Night.” He spent the evening engaging with fans and opening Topps trading cards. He even spent $7,000 on a handful of rookie cards of his college roommate, Kon Knueppel.
Flagg had another obligation in New York City this week that had to be canceled because of the weather. He was scheduled to make his late-night television debut Monday on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, but he will not appear on the program because of the team’s travel issues. Flagg has missed the last three games because of a left midfoot sprain and has already been ruled out of Tuesday’s game in Brooklyn.
P.J. Washington regained his footing in Flagg’s absence Sunday and scored 23 points with nine rebounds. He was pleased with the win, but disappointed with the Mavericks’ latest travel woes.
“I’m not really too happy about it,” Washington said after Sunday’s win. “I don’t think anybody wants to stay the night here. It is what it is, though. We’ve been dealing with stuff like that the whole year so it is what it is. I just hope we get there.”
Despite the change of plans, the Mavericks didn’t let an extra night in Indianapolis go to waste. Sunday’s early tipoff allowed several players, coaches and staff to gather at St. Elmo for a warm meal to combat the bitter cold.
It’s the type of bonding that can help a team during the period after the All-Star break, also known as the dog days of an NBA season.
“That was great,” Christie told The News. “Any time you get to be around the guys outside of basketball, it’s just fun. We had a team dinner, obviously being able to talk about life and just continue to be around each other and build relationships. It’s important. This time of the year when it’s cold and starting to get a little monotonous, those are important.”
The unplanned off-court time together could also be beneficial for the Mavericks’ four new players, including Khris Middleton, who scored a season-high 25 points Sunday. The veteran sharpshooter spent over 11 seasons in Milwaukee and the last year in Washington, so he’s used to inclement weather.
“We haven’t had too many of these delays and snowstorms since I’ve been in the east and Midwest,” Middleton said. “It happens once in a while. These last two, three years they’re starting to really come down on us here in the east. Hopefully this is the last one. Thankfully we don’t have to deal with that too much in Dallas.”
The experience of a league-leading 36 clutch games played a factor in Sunday’s four-point win over the Pacers. The same could be said with the Mavericks’ experience with inclement weather, which has prepared them for either outcome, whether a game is played on Tuesday or not.
“We’ve been in this situation,” Kidd said. “We’ve been in a lot of situations and have been able to sit on planes. Hopefully we can get out and get to New York.”
On Twitter/X: @MikeACurtis2
Cooper Flagg’s scheduled appearance on Jimmy Fallon canceled due to New York storms
The Mavericks and their schedule continue to be impacted by the weather.
Tuesday’s TV/Radio listings (Feb. 24)
The Dallas Mavericks are scheduled to take on the Brooklyn Nets in a frigid New York City.
Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg to miss 4th straight game with left midfoot sprain
Flagg participated in Monday’s practice, but remains sidelined.
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.