Disheartening collapse or well-executed Tank job? Both could have been used to describe Wednesday evening’s 135-131 loss on the road to the Indiana Pacers. The fact that the question is relevant at all reflects how far and how quickly this season has flown off the rails.
As has been the norm over the past 6 weeks, the Dallas Mavericks were fielding a bare shell of a roster, dressing just 8 players. Klay Thompson sat out this one with an Illness designation. He was joined by Caleb Martin (Hip Strain), Brandon Williams (Hamstring Tightness), Dante Exum (Fractured Hand), Kyrie Irving (ACL Tear), Daniel Gafford (Knee Sprain), Dereck Lively II (Ankle Stress Fracture) and O-Max Prosper (Wrist Sprain). Klay was replaced by Kai Jones in the starting lineup, who returned to action after missing the last few games with a quad strain. Jaden Hardy & Anthony Davis made news in the leadup to the game after being assigned to the Legends to ramp up their on-court recovery. Hardy suited up and was active for this one, while AD……… Did not.
The game started off terribly for Dallas, with their offense seemingly stuck in the mud. They ended the frame with a measly 21pts. There were signs of life in the 2nd quarter, with the Mavericks matching the Pacers stride for stride, though they could not stop Indiana from scoring. The game turned in the 2nd half as Dallas came out of the locker room playing with intensity and Indiana was seemingly intent on giving the game away. The Mavericks actually led by as many as 11pts at one point in the 4th quarter, before a series of missed free throws and high-school-level errors under full-court pressure at the end of the game condemned Dallas to their 9th loss in their last 10 games.
Here’s a look at how the Mavericks graded out in a disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers:
Spencer Dinwiddie: B
17 Points/3 Rebound/12 Assists/3 Steals
As much as well as lament having to watch so much Dinwiddie-terrorist ball in a lost season, Spencer was not the reason the Mavericks lost this one. Sure, he was inefficient – needing 16 shots to score 17pts and going 2/7 from the 3pt line, but he kept the ball moving and made some nice passes leading to one of his best assist games as a Maverick. The fact that he was THIS inefficient against an Indiana team playing an ‘Olé’ defense is a bit of an indictment on Dinwiddie.
Naji Marshall: B-
20 Points/9 Rebounds/3 Assists
There’s not much to say about Marshall’s workmanlike performance in this game. He played as he has in the wake of Kyrie’s and Exum’s injuries, serving as the secondary playmaker and scorer. His 3pt shot is still missing and it seems like he’s given up all hope of trying to shoot his way back into form. With the Pacers choosing not to play any defense throughout the game, Naji was incisive in keeping the Mavericks connected with constant drives to the hoop, finishing the game 8/15 from the floor, but only 4/7 from the FT line.
P.J. Washington: B-
26 Points/5 Rebounds/0 Assists/1 Steal
PJ led the Mavericks in scoring in the game, continuing his positive play after returning from an Ankle sprain. He took advantage of Indiana’s non-defense and drove to the basket again and again, with one particularly vicious highlight throwdown midway through the 4th quarter. His 3pt shot is still the ultimate variance play – he went 2/6 in this game. His positive play was ultimately let down by his poor free-throw shooting down the stretch as he missed 4 FTs in the 4th quarter when Indiana played the foul game to extend the tie as much as possible and work their way back into the game.
Can’t blame the missed free throws down the stretch on people chanting “fire Nico” tonight
— Panda Hank (a broken fan) (@pandahank41) March 20, 2025
Kessler Edwards: B
9 Points/2 Rebounds/1 Assist/1 Steal
In his penultimate game as a Dallas Maverick (due to tow-way eligibility rules), Edwards was limited to just 21mins due to foul trouble. As we have seen in this extended run of play amidst the injury crisis, Edwards is a great go-to option for an end-of-bench player. He plays solid, fundamental Basketball and sticks to his role. He seems to be trusting his 3pt shot more too, with all of his scoring coming from beyond the arc. Great progress from the 24yr old journeyman.
Kai Jones: B+
18 Points/11 Rebounds/1 Assist
2 games, 2 double-doubles for Jones. Jones has been a great pickup for an injury-ravaged Mavericks desperate for some size at the Center position. He played a Gafford-esque game, going 8/9 from the floor and did offer some size against the talents of Myles Turner, but ultimately didn’t see much time at the end of the game as Indiana went small to claw their way back into the game. As we all wait with bated breath for news about Dallas’ Center rotation, let’s hope that Jones doesn’t miss the next few games with an injury like he did after his Mavericks debut against the Kings.
Cormac Christie: B-
17 Points/8 Rebound/1 Assist/1 Steal
Cormac has shown signs of resurgence in the past few games after a prolonged slump. He looked confident on the ball and was efficient from the floor, going 6/11 for his 17pts. He does get knocked for his schoolboy error at the end of the game when he got the ball taken away easily by the Pacers’ full-court pressure leading to a wide-open 3 from Andrew Nembhard. The hope is that this extended run of games leads to Cormac developing into something for the Mavericks, either as a rotation piece or a trade-chip.
Dwight Powell: C
0 Points/1 Rebounds/3 Assists
Powell did nothing of note really in his 15mins on court. He had a couple of nice assists in the 2nd quarter off of backdoor cuts made by his teammates but spent much of the game confined to the bench as Kidd opted to play PJ at the 5 for significant stretches of the game to space the floor and open up driving lanes.
Jaden Hardy: B-
24 Points/2 Rebounds/2 Assists
Hardy stepped up in his return to the lineup with his efficient scoring being one of the main reasons why the Mavericks remained connected throughout the 2nd half – even taking the lead for large portions of it. Like Cormac Christie, his schoolboy error of giving the ball away while being pressed full-court was terrible to watch but wasn’t the main reason why Dallas managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Hardy has proven over the season what he really is – an inconsistent microwave scorer with an unfathomable level of confidence in his limited abilities. Tim Hardaway Jr. basically.
