3rd Quarter Report
The Pacers already have more points against the Mavericks than they managed in total against the Spurs last Sunday. The Pacers have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Mavericks 106-88.
If the Pacers keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 35-28 in no time. On the other hand, the Mavericks will have to make due with a 34-28 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Indiana Pacers @ Dallas Mavericks
Current Records: Indiana 34-28, Dallas 34-27
How To Watch
- When: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: American Airlines Center — Dallas, Texas
- TV: Bally Sports Midwest – Indiana
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $26.00
What to Know
The Mavericks and the Pacers are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2019, but not for long. The Dallas Mavericks will be playing at home against the Indiana Pacers at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday at American Airlines Center. Both of these teams will be coming in off a loss in a game they were expected to win.
Last Sunday, Dallas was within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap as they fell 120-116 to the 76ers. The Mavericks have now taken an ‘L’ in back-to-back games.
The loss doesn’t tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Luka Doncic, who dropped a triple-double on 38 points, 11 rebounds, and ten assists. He hasn’t dropped below 26 points for 11 straight games. Another player making a difference was Derrick Jones Jr., who scored 21 points along with seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Pacers and the Spurs couldn’t quite live up to the 243-over/under that the experts had forecasted. Indiana took a 117-105 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Spurs on Sunday. The Pacers found out winning isn’t easy when you don’t work as a unit and post 13 fewer assists than your opponent.
T.J. McConnell put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 26 points along with five assists and three steals. Less helpful for the Pacers was Tyrese Haliburton’s abysmal 0-6 three-point shooting.
The Pacers struggled to work together and finished the game with only 20 assists. That’s the fewest assists they’ve managed all season.
Dallas’ defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 34-27. As for Indiana, they have been struggling recently as they’ve lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 34-28 record this season.
Tuesday’s match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: The Mavericks just can’t miss this season, having made 48% of their shots per game. However, it’s not like the Pacers (currently ranked first in field goal percentage) struggle in that department as they’ve made 50.7% of their shots this season. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
As for their next game, the Mavericks are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 4.5 points. For those looking to play the spread, take note: they are a solid 20-13 against the spread when expected to win.
Odds
Dallas is a 4.5-point favorite against Indiana, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 4.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 245.5 points.
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Series History
Dallas and Indiana both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Feb 25, 2024 – Indiana 133 vs. Dallas 111
- Mar 27, 2023 – Dallas 127 vs. Indiana 104
- Feb 28, 2023 – Indiana 124 vs. Dallas 122
- Jan 29, 2022 – Dallas 132 vs. Indiana 105
- Dec 10, 2021 – Indiana 106 vs. Dallas 93
- Mar 26, 2021 – Indiana 109 vs. Dallas 94
- Jan 20, 2021 – Dallas 124 vs. Indiana 112
- Mar 08, 2020 – Indiana 112 vs. Dallas 109
- Feb 03, 2020 – Dallas 112 vs. Indiana 103
- Feb 27, 2019 – Dallas 110 vs. Indiana 101