NEW DELHI: For the second time in nine days, the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers will clash on Tuesday, with Dallas looking to avenge their 133-111 loss on February 25.
Dallas will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing outing after losing four of its past five games, including Sunday's 120-116 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the strong fourth quarter, coach Jason Kidd emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum late in the game.
“I thought our guys played at a high level in the fourth quarter,” Kidd said. “Our best defense is our offense. If we score goals, we can be one of the best teams in this league. When we don't score goals, we tend to struggle defensively.”
The Mavericks' defensive struggles have been noticeable of late, allowing an average of 127.4 points per game over their last five games despite ranking second in the Western Conference with 118.7 points per game.
Luka Doncic leads the league in scoring with 34.5 points per game and recorded his 13th triple-double of the season on Sunday, but he admits the team needs to improve.
“I think we need more energy,” Doncic said. “When I bring it, everyone follows, so I have to get better.”
Indiana is also in a close playoff game, but enters this game on a two-game losing streak, including a 117-105 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. Coach Rick Carlisle highlighted defensive lapses and poor 3-point shooting as areas that need improvement.
“We allowed (the Spurs) 54 percent and 40 percent shooting from three,” Carlisle said. “There were elements in this game that we needed to get better defensively and we weren’t able to do that.”
Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton remains a mainstay, averaging 20.8 points and a league-leading 11.3 assists per game this season, despite a recent slump on offense.
Both teams are currently competing for a playoff spot, with Dallas chasing the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings for the No. 6 seed in the West, and the Pacers trying to close the gap on the Orlando Magic for the No. 6 seed in the East. The aims.
(Information from Reuters)
Dallas will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing outing after losing four of its past five games, including Sunday's 120-116 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the strong fourth quarter, coach Jason Kidd emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum late in the game.
“I thought our guys played at a high level in the fourth quarter,” Kidd said. “Our best defense is our offense. If we score goals, we can be one of the best teams in this league. When we don't score goals, we tend to struggle defensively.”
The Mavericks' defensive struggles have been noticeable of late, allowing an average of 127.4 points per game over their last five games despite ranking second in the Western Conference with 118.7 points per game.
Luka Doncic leads the league in scoring with 34.5 points per game and recorded his 13th triple-double of the season on Sunday, but he admits the team needs to improve.
“I think we need more energy,” Doncic said. “When I bring it, everyone follows, so I have to get better.”
Indiana is also in a close playoff game, but enters this game on a two-game losing streak, including a 117-105 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. Coach Rick Carlisle highlighted defensive lapses and poor 3-point shooting as areas that need improvement.
Expanding
Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton remains a mainstay, averaging 20.8 points and a league-leading 11.3 assists per game this season, despite a recent slump on offense.
Both teams are currently competing for a playoff spot, with Dallas chasing the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings for the No. 6 seed in the West, and the Pacers trying to close the gap on the Orlando Magic for the No. 6 seed in the East. The aims.
(Information from Reuters)
