Mavericks' former strength crumbles into embarrassing weakness in loss to Pacers

Noah Weber

Mar 5, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts to a foul call / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

After the Dallas Mavericks traded for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, their defense tremendously improved.

The Mavs had the No. 1 defensive rating in the NBA over a six-game span heading into the All-Star break, but all of that changed after the All-Star break. Heading into Dallas' matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, they had the worst defensive rating in the NBA since the All-Star break.

Dallas' poor defense continued into their game with the Indiana Pacers, as they gave up 74 points in the first half and ultimately lost the game by a score of 137-120.

Mavericks' former strength crumbles into embarrassing weakness in loss to Pacers

Luka Doncic put on a show as he seemingly always does, as he dropped 39 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, but it wasn't enough to take down the Pacers. Anything that Doncic did, the Pacers would respond with a bucket of their own on the other end of the floor.

There was no answer for Myles Turner, as he finished with 444 points. The Mavs had no sense of urgency, and there always seemed to be an open shooter on the perimeter for the Pacers due to the Mavs' late rotations.

This was the perfect game for the Mavs to get back on track, especially after their embarrassing performance against the Philadephia 76ers on Sunday and the recent struggles of Tyrese Haliburton, but the Mavs couldn't capitalize.

Jason Kidd also gave Daniel Gafford a chance as he played for 21 minutes after not having a big role recently, but his 7-7 shooting for 16 points wasn't enough since the Mavs couldn't seem to get a single stop. If the Mavs did ever play a solid defensive possession, it seemed to always end with a foul or an offensive rebound for the Pacers.

Dallas has a chance to get back on track on Thursday night against the Miami Heat.

For all the latest on Luka Doncic, Daniel Gafford, and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.