Dallas Mavericks: 5 takeaways from road win over Pacers

The Dallas Mavericks entered Wednesday’s game on a three-game losing streak. Superstar Luka Doncic was playing outstanding, but the short-handed Mavs were struggling to get in the win column.

They were looking to get back on track as they traveled to Indiana to face the Pacers. The Mavericks still had four players sitting out in the league’s health and safety protocols, but the Pacers were without Myles Turner, T.J. Warren, and Caris LeVert on Jan. 20. Dallas needed Luka and Kristaps Porzingis to step up to grab a victory.

It was a total team effort as the Mavs snapped their losing streak. KP led the way with 27 points as Doncic pitched in a triple-double to secure the 124-112 victory. Five of the nine Dallas players that saw minutes finished with double-digit points on Wednesday. What can fans take away from the win? Let us take a closer look.

5 takeaways from the Dallas Mavericks road win over the Pacers

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle pivoted to a small ball lineup on Wednesday night. He inserted Porzingis at the five with Josh Green and Tim Hardaway Jr. starting on the wings. That left Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson opening the game in the backcourt. The move paid off against the Pacers as every player finished with a positive plus-minus as they snapped their three-game skid.

It was not just the shift to small ball. There was plenty to learn from the Jan. 20 win in Indiana. Here is a look at the five biggest takeaways for Dallas Mavericks supporters.

Next: No. 5