First-year head coach Dusty May just bagged his first NBA win with the Dallas Mavericks taking down the Indiana Pacers 121-105 on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But man, it might’ve come with a heavy cost. Cooper Flagg left the game late in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. The good news? Dallas had already built up a monster 37-point lead and held on, fueled by Kyrie Irving’s 24 points on 5-of-10 from deep and PJ Washington’s 20 points and 13 boards. Max Christie chipped in 16, and Naji Marshall added 15 in the win. On the Pacers side, Pascal Siakam led with 23 points and three triples, while Tyrese Haliburton dropped 18 points and seven assists.
The First Quarter Onslaught
Did you see that first quarter? Unreal. Marcus Sasser, who was already cooking from three against the Rockets, just kept that fire going. He absolutely torched the Pacers, sparking an insane 22-6 run that blew the Mavs’ lead open to 33-19 late in the first. Sasser hit two crucial threes during that run, one off a break from Flagg for a pull-up to make it 23-17, then another from the left corner found by Irving to extend it to 33-19. Flagg and Irving weren’t just dishing, they hit their own triples in that run too. Dallas put up a ridiculous 44 points in that first frame! Flagg, Irving, Sasser, and Naji Marshall combined for an absurd 11-of-14 from the field and 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. They were absolutely out of their minds, and the Mavericks ended the quarter up 44-27.
Second Quarter Turnover Tsunami
The second quarter was more of the same, but with a different flavor: turnovers. The Mavs were just locking down passing lanes, getting deflections, and Indiana kept coughing up the ball. Seven turnovers in the first 7:15 of the period, including four straight possessions mid-quarter. That’s just gifting buckets! Dallas was flying on fast breaks. Zaccharie Risacher, who had a rough debut on Wednesday, was all over those easy scores. He scored thr
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Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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