Dallas Mavericks 113 at Indiana Pacers 92
It seems only right that the hard-charging Dallas Mavericks run their road winning streak to five in the city that plays host to the Indy 500.
The run-and-gun and fast-breaking Mavs drove out to a big lead and put it on cruise control to the checkered flag against the Indiana Pacers on Friday night, as the Dallas starters watched from the sideline in the fourth with plenty of gas left for the second night of a back-to-back after a 113-92 runaway win.
"We're happy to get out of here alive," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. "This isn't an easy game. These guys can put a lot of points on the board. But fortunately they were missing some shots tonight and we were active defensively."
In a game matching the NBA's sixth and eighth leading scorers, the Mavericks entered Indianapolis hoping to play balanced team basketball, much like they did in Houston en route to a 130-99 blowout win over the Rockets. Dallas accomplished that goal once again, getting another solid effort from the Maverick bench.
(Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Nowitzki sent a message to Granger and the Pacers early
"Our offense really seems to be clicking," Dirk Nowitzki said. "The last two games we've done a good job of swinging the ball and shooting the ball well."
For the second straight game, the Mavericks put out a starting lineup of Jason Kidd, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, Shawn Marion, Nowitzki and Drew Gooden. As advertised, the two superstars, Nowitzki and the Pacers' Danny Granger, paced their squads early on. No. 41 set the Mavs up for a big first quarter with 11 early points, before J.J. Barea's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave Dallas a 35-26 lead after one.
With the starters getting rest on the bench and Kris Humphries dominating the glass, the Mavericks' second unit put distance between themselves and the Pacers early in the second period. Pushing the tempo and increasing the lead to as large as 22 in the quarter, Dallas took a 66-54 advantage into the half.
Behind Humphries' 10 rebounds, the Mavs held a 29-17 rebounding edge after the first 24 minutes of play.
Nowitzki led all scorers with 19 first half points, while Jason Terry added 11 points off the Dallas bench to help the Mavericks shoot 50 percent. Meanwhile, Granger's 15 points in the half kept Indiana close.
"My first couple of shots felt good. All around, our offense has been looking better the last couple of games. I like what we’re doing lately," Nowitzki said.
Nowitzki and the Mavs kept coming in the third, as Dallas attacked the rim more aggressively in the period. Scoring easily inside, Dallas began to drive and kick it outside for the long range shot. Following that formula, the Mavericks pushed the lead back up to 26. Scoring the last 11 points of the third quarter, after a Carlisle 20-second timeout with Indiana within 15, Dallas took a 95-69 lead into the fourth.
"They’re aggressive. They have some competitors and are well coached. The third quarter, we protected the ball and kept executing," Nowitzki said.
With the big lead in the pocket, the Mavs' starters sat on the bench and iced in the fourth in preparation for the second night of a back-to-back. The Dallas bench was up for the challenge of finishing the Pacers off for the night, as James Singleton made the hustle plays to put the cap on the eventual 21-point win.
"Singleton gave us great energy," Carlisle said. "We made a good push when he was in, in the first half. "He's just physical and rebounds. He makes a lot of things happen. He was ready to play, and our second unit was good."
Nowitzki led the way with a game-high 31 points without playing a second in the fourth quarter. Terry (17), Marion (13), Humphries (12) and Kidd (11) all scored in double-digits in the victory.
(Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Humphries dominated the glass in the Dallas win
Humphries record a double-double, cleaning the glass with a game-high 11 rebounds (five offensive). Behind the former Minnesota standout, Dallas out-rebounded Indiana 54-33 with 17 boards coming off the offensive glass.
"We did a nice job, particularly on the defensive boards, and with 17 offensive rebounds you should be scoring some points," Carlisle said.
The Mavs' rebounding only enhanced a 45 percent shooting night, while the Dallas defense held the Pacers to 43 percent at the other end.
The Mavericks hit the court again on a quick turnaround on Saturday evening against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game will air locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA HD at 6:30 p.m. CT.
"Our activity and our energy were good, and we have to carry it over to Cleveland tomorrow," Carlisle said.
Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center on Nov. 30, when they play host to the Philadelphia 76ers. That game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.
The Mavericks and the NBA have introduced the official NBA All-Star game ballot, featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry. For more on how to vote for your favorite Mavs for the All-Star game, to be held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, visit Mavs.com.
Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.
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