Dallas Mavericks: 3 Things from Embarrassment in Indiana

The Dallas Mavericks were run over by the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night. Here are three things to know about it.

#1: Too much Monta in the second half

Monta Ellis had a forgettable first half in his first meeting with the team that let him walk in free agency this summer, but his play after the intermission helped the Pacers blow the game wide open and send Dallas to their first road loss of December.

Ellis was 0-8 in the first half, and the Mavericks entered the locker room at halftime with a two-point lead. Monta was 7-9 in the second half, hitting a trio of triples on four attempts, and scoring all of his 19 points in the final two quarters.

Ellis also had three assists and two steals. He had a rough start to the season, averaging just 11.6 points (down from 18.9 last year) in his first 20 games with the Pacers. But in his last four Ellis has scored 18.0 a game as Paul George‘s sidekick, connecting on 9-17 three-point attempts.

Although it came against the Mavericks, it’s tough not to feel good for Monta.

#2: Chandler Parsons did not pick up where he left off

Chandler Parsons played some of his best basketball of the season in the second half of Dallas’ last game, a 104-94 win over the Phoenix Suns. But he did not pick up where he left off. Although he had his moments, like this slashing slam dunk, it was mostly bad for the recovering swingman.

Parsons was 3-9 from the floor for seven points in over 28 minutes. But it wasn’t so much his inefficient scoring night, it was his inability to create any separation off the dribble, which led to careless turnovers on lazy, mid-air passes, and things like getting left in the dust by Chase Budinger attacking his closeout in the corner.

Some ups and downs are to be expected. But so far the downs are far more frequent than the ups. And to make matters worse, he was dealing with soreness in his right knee after the game that led to x-rays. They were negative, but it’s something to keep an eye on as he attempts to work his way back.

#3: On the bright side, JaVale looked OK

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JaVale McGee didn’t play in Dallas’ last three games, but was forced into action when Dwight Powell got himself into some early foul trouble. And he looked pretty good, other than the occasional lapse in awareness.

In his 10:38 of action McGee grabbed seven rebounds, three on the offensive end, and finished with authority inside on his two attempts from the floor.

He still has a long way to go before he becomes a staple in Rick Carlisle‘s rotation, but he was one of the lone bright spots for the Mavericks in Indiana.

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