INDIANA PACERS (18-32) at MAVERICKS (28-21)
Time: 6 p.m., Saturday.
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas.
TV: Bally’s Sports Southwest.
Radio: The Eagle 97.1 FM; Univision Zona MX 99.1 FM (Spanish)
About the Pacers: It’s been a rough go for Rick Carlisle in his first season back in Indiana. Injuries are the primary reason. They have been without T.J. McConnell (wrist), Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles), T.J. Warren (foot) and Myles Turner (foot) for an extended stretch. All are expected to be out Saturday . . . One bright spot for the Pacers has been big man Domantas Sabonis, who is averaging 19 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting nearly 58 percent from the field. But he, too, has been fighting the injury bug. He missed the last four games with an ankle sprain before returning Friday night in Oklahoma City. He didn’t seem impaired at all. In fact, he posted the fourth triple-double he’s had in his past eight games, rolling up 24 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists as the Pacers scored a 113-110 overtime victory over the Thunder. In that game, the Pacers also outrebounded OKC 60-43 . . . Their biggest problems have been at the defensive end, where they are in the bottom third of the league in overall defensive efficiency. They are 26th in field-goal percentage defense and opponents are scoring just over 110 points per game against them . . . The Pacers now have won three of their last six road games, including the last time they had a back-to-back when they won at the Lakers and Warriors last week. They’ll have to overcome the fatigue issue after going to OT on Friday night.
About the Mavericks: The next part of Jason Kidd’s job is to figure out how to fill those 30 minutes that Tim Hardaway Jr. was playing every night. As Kidd said on Friday, there are not shortage of options. “It would help to get Sterling (Brown) back with Timmy out,” he said. “Josh (Green), Frank (Ntilikina), Trey (Burke), those guys we’ll look at maybe splitting those minutes. And Reggie (Bullock), too. We have some different options. It’s hard to replace Timmy. But we got the minutes we can spread around.” Bullock is coming off one of his most effective games of the season when he had 15 points, hit 4-of-7 3-pointers and played his usual stout defense in the 132-112 pounding of Portland on Wednesday. “Reggie is definitely one of those guys we can get more minutes for,” Kidd said. “He did a great job in Portland and we’re going to need him with Timmy out.” . . . The Mavericks should be fresh, having gotten a two-day break for the second time in the last 10 days . . . They have won 12 of their last 15 games and are hoping to creep eight games above .500 for the first time this season . . . Luka Dončić has been torrid in his last 10 games, averaging 25.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. He hasn’t shot the ball particularly well, but he has done everything to put the Mavericks in position to win. And he has four triple-doubles in the last 10 games . . . The Mavericks will be trying to avenge the 106-93 loss they suffered last month in Indy.
Twitter: @ESefko
Share and comment