Mavericks (30-19) at Pacers (31-18)
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Place: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
TV: FSSW
Radio: ESPN, 103.3 FM, Univision, 1270 AM (Spanish)
About the Mavs: They have been on a bit of a rollercoaster lately. They have failed to win two games in a row since winning four in a row, a streak that ended on Jan. 17. They are 3-4 since . . . They again will be without Luka Doncic, who is recovering from a right ankle sprain. The Mavericks are 3-3 in games he has missed this season . . . They will welcome back Kristaps Porzingis, who was rested on Saturday in the win over Atlanta . . . Unlike the Pacers, the Mavericks love the 3-point shot, and with good reason. They are 18-3 when they make 16 or more from beyond the arc and 11-0 when they make 18 or more . . . Seth Curry has thrived off the bench in the most recent two games Doncic has missed. He’s scored 16 points in both of them and shot 7-for-13 from 3-point range . . . Point guard Jalen Brunson is coming off a season-best 27 points to go with eight assists in the 23-point win over Atlanta. In his nine starts this season, he has averaged 13.4 points, 6.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 28.8 minutes per game. Those numbers are all virtually double what he averages off the bench . . . Also stepping up in the two games without Doncic? Dorian Finney-Smith has averaged 17.5 points and 7 rebounds . . . The Mavericks have lost four of their last five trips to Indiana.
About the Pacers: They have won eight of their last 11, but they are coming off an upset loss at home Saturday to the New York Knicks, 92-85 . . . The Pacers are a judicious 3-point shooting team at 27.3 hoists per game, lowest in the NBA. However, they are fifth in 3-point percentage at .372, so when they do take them, they tend to be smart shots . . . They have put together a diverse roster that features seven players averaging 10 points or more – none of whom are named Victor Oladipo. The former All-Star and seventh-year guard has only played two games since returning from a ruptured quad tendon in January, 2019. He’s being worked back into the system slowly, limited to about 20 minutes per game. His shot has not yet returned as he’s 4-of-22 from the field (18.6 percent) . . . However, the Pacers get major production from center Domantas Sabonis and forward T.J. Warren. Both average a smidge over 18 points per game and Sabonis, voted in as an All-Star reserve for the first time this season, also averages 12.7 rebounds per game, proving that the apple does not fall far from the tree. His father, Arvydas, was a legendary rebounder during his prime . . . Interesting factoid: The Pacers lead the NBA in T.J.s – Leaf, McConnell and Warren . . . Probable starters: Sabonis, Warren, Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb.
Twitter: @ESefko
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