The Indiana Pacers took the built-in excuse of playing at the end of a long road trip to mail in their defensive effort against the Dallas Mavericks, resulting in another terrible road loss. The game’s issues were on display early when the Pacers couldn’t build any kind of lead despite hitting 10 first half three pointers and it fell apart at the end of the half, when the Mavericks used a 12-2 run (as part of a 19-2 overall run) to take the lead.
That three pointer advantage disappeared in the second half as the Mavericks took flight, hitting 10 second half three pointers, and there was no resistance on the defensive end to prevent Dallas’s looks.