Middleton ignited a crucial surge, fueling a balanced Mavericks offense to break a decade-long losing streak against the Pacers.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Dallas Mavericks delivered a complete offensive performance Sunday night, defeating the Indiana Pacers 134-130 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to snap a 10-game losing streak and secure their first win since Jan. 22.
Dallas improved to 20-36 with the victory, shooting 54.3% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range while placing six players in double figures. The Pacers, who received 30 points from Pascal Siakam, fell to 15-43.
The Mavericks did so while continuing to manage key injuries. Rookie forward Cooper Flagg missed his third consecutive game with a left midfoot sprain. Kyrie Irving remains sidelined following left knee surgery, and Dereck Lively II continues to recover from right foot surgery. Two-way players Moussa Cissé and Ryan Nembhard were also unavailable. Max Christie, Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin and Miles Kelly were active.
Before tipoff, head coach Jason Kidd provided an update on Flagg’s status.
“He’s feeling better. Had a good workout today,” Kidd said. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. We’ll practice (in Indiana) tomorrow because of the weather (in New York). We’ll see how he feels after that practice.”
On the floor, Dallas leaned on ball movement and execution to generate efficient offense. The Mavericks committed five turnovers in the first quarter but just six over the final three quarters combined, finishing with 29 assists on 51 made field goals.
When asked about the team’s offensive rhythm, Kidd emphasized the collective approach.
“Yeah, it was great,” Kidd said. “I thought the ball movement, the execution — the guys were really good on both ends. Indiana’s a good team and they play hard. They shoot the three extremely well. But for our group, the energy and effort was high.”
Khris Middleton led Dallas with a season-high 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting, adding seven rebounds and seven assists. It marked his first 25-5-5 performance since the 2022-23 season. P.J. Washington contributed 23 points and nine rebounds, while Marvin Bagley III added 15 points and 13 rebounds, recording his second double-double in four games with the Mavericks. Bagley has totaled 19 offensive rebounds in his first four games with Dallas, the third-most by a Maverick through four games with the franchise, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Kidd highlighted Middleton’s versatility against varying coverages.
“Being around Khris, you don’t always understand how tall he is,” Kidd said. “He can create space with his height in the mid-range game. He’s always been able to get his shot off. And then his ability to playmake — I thought being able to run the offense through him, he got guys layups and wide-open shots. He was really good tonight.”
Dallas led 36-33 after one quarter and 71-66 at halftime. A 12-3 run in the third quarter extended the advantage to 94-84, but Indiana closed within 123-119 after an Andrew Nembhard three-pointer with just over four minutes remaining. Middleton answered with a three to push the margin back to seven, and the Mavericks closed the game at the free-throw line.
Washington described the emotional lift of ending the skid.
“It feels great. It feels like we took a deep breath and got a good win tonight,” Washington said. “Losing 10 really sucks. But we just move on to the next one and try to build from there.”
Middleton reinforced the committee mindset.
“Doing it by committee,” Middleton said. “That’s something J-Kidd preaches — trust one another, play with the pass. This is a team that can get it done that way.”
Despite the win, Kidd maintained focus on integration and health rather than the streak itself.
“I’m not really worried about the streak,” Kidd said. “I’m worried about getting the new guys’ feet on the ground and getting healthy. Hopefully we’ll get Cooper back soon and we can build on this.”
The Mavericks will practice in Indianapolis before attempting to travel to New York for Tuesday’s matchup against Brooklyn, with winter weather potentially affecting travel plans.