Khris Middleton’s 25 points led six Dallas scorers in double figures, and the Mavericks snapped a 10-game losing skid with their 134-130 defeat of the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Indianapolis.
Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 30 points for the Pacers, who lost their third straight game.
Dallas, winless since Jan. 22, led the Pacers nearly wire-to-wire – but never by more than 11 points. The Mavericks built their largest lead early in the fourth quarter before Indiana whittled the deficit down to 117-114 with 5:37 remaining.
Middleton led the Dallas response, scoring seven of the Mavericks’ points over a 9-5 spurt that gave them some breathing room down the stretch.
Middleton capped his individual burst with a 3-pointer, following up a pair of mid-range jumpers. He shot 11-of-15 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
Klay Thompson added another three triples on seven attempts off the bench, scoring all nine of his points from beyond the arc. Thompson just missed joining the balanced contingent of double-figure point-scoring Mavericks, which included P.J. Washington with 23 points.
Washington also grabbed nine rebounds.
Marvin Bagley III led with 11 boards, posting a double-double with his 12 points off the bench. The Mavericks reserves combined for 45 points, including Brandon Williams’ 15.
The Indiana bench countered with 41 points, led by Kobe Brown’s 15. Brown shot 3-of-4 from 3-point distance, contributing to the Pacers’ torrid shooting from outside.
Indiana remained within striking distance thanks to its 20-of-42 overall pace from downtown. Five Pacers knocked down at least three 3-pointers, led by Jarace Walker’s 4-of-7.
Walker finished with 18 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists. Andrew Nembhard posted a double-double, dishing 11 assists to go with his 22 points.
Despite Indiana combining to hit nine more triples than Dallas, the Pacers could not keep up with the Mavericks’ 64 points in the paint. Dallas shot 40-of-66 from the interior.
With the win, the Mavericks avoided a winless road trip. Sunday marked the fifth date in a six-game swing that concludes Tuesday in Brooklyn.
–Field Level Media
