Dallas Basketball

Breaking Down Pacers Lineup Ahead of Mavs Monday Matchup

Indiana comes into Dallas with a 2-4 record overall.

Keenan Womack

Mar 5, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Mar 5, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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The Indiana Pacers, coming off of a solid season in which they lost to the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics in four games in the Eastern Conference Finals, are coming to Dallas to try to extend their streak against the Mavericks after beating them both times they played last season. In these two contests, the Pacers scored 137 and 133 points, giving the Mavericks a ton of trouble on the perimeter, as they hit 18-of-39 threes in one game and 14-of-31 in the other.

READ MORE: Mavericks Final Injury Report vs. Indiana Pacers

The starting shooting guard is up in the air for tonight, but the typical player in this role is Andrew Nembhard, who is a game-time decision with a knee issue. Given the amount of injuries suffered by Indiana already, it would not be surprising to see the Pacers sit Nembhard to make sure he does not re-aggravate the ailment. If that's the case, they will play second-year guard/wing Ben Sheppard, a long-range shooter who connected on 6-of-11 threes in his last game against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 1.

The Pacers are also a bit banged up at the small forward position, missing starter Aaron Nesmith. In the meantime, wing Bennedict Mathurin has done an admirable job filling his role, averaging 16.3 points per game on 53.3% from the field this season. They will use a mix of Mathurin, Sheppard, and Jarace Walker at the forward spot tonight against Dallas, with Mathurin getting the lion's share of the reps at that position.

READ MORE: Mavericks Credit Newcomer for Success Against Magic

Pascal Siakam will hold down the power forward spot for the Pacers, an elite talent acquired in January of 2024 from Toronto that significantly raised the ceiling of this Indiana unit. On the year, the do-it-all face-up forward has been averaging 19.8 points, 7.3 boards, and 5.3 assists all while shooting a respectable 54.5% from the field. Walker could also play minutes at the four whenever Siakam needs rest.

At center is Myles Turner, a University of Texas product who has played his entire career with Indiana. A floor-spacing big that can also rim run, Turner has averaged 14.4 points and 5.8 rebounds this season with the Pacers, as well as 1.8 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. Though a decent shot blocker, he has sometimes struggled to protect the paint and rebound at a high level, meaning the Mavs' two centers should be able to handle their duties at the rim.

While the Pacers are struggling on the offensive end as of late, Dallas is on the second night of a back-to-back, and Indiana is coming off two days of rest. This could mean an energy deficit for Dallas, but fortunately, they have the talent disparity enough in their favor to overcome this, last year's results aside. To win, Dallas will have to force Haliburton to shoot from outside instead of driving and kicking, as well as limit the impact that Siakam can have. If they can do those two things, they should emerge victorious.

READ MORE: 3 Takeaways From Mavericks' Domination of Magic

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Keenan Womack
KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.