Pacers at Mavericks
The Indiana Pacers are getting used to playing shorthanded and they may find themselves short two more players when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Center Roy Hibbert (ankle) and guard Rodney Stuckey (wrist) were injured during Saturday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns and both players were termed questionable by coach Frank Vogel. Indiana is already without starters Paul George (leg), David West (ankle) and George Hill (knee).
The Mavericks lost to the Houston Rockets 95-92 on Saturday to end their six-game winning streak. Dallas shot just 39.8 percent from the field and committed 16 turnovers while failing to reach 100 points for the first time since their previous defeat – a 105-96 loss to Miami on Nov. 9. “It’s about whether or not you win and whether or not you’re getting better as a team,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “We just weren’t good enough from start to finish.”
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Indiana, FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE PACERS (5-8): George is about to begin limited work on the basketball court this week and he reiterated his goal of returning in April from the brutal broken leg he suffered on Aug. 1. “It’s a goal, for sure, to have an opportunity to play this year,” George told reporters. “We have a good team and one of my goals is to come back and try and help this team out any way I can.” George hasn’t yet been cleared to run but has resumed shooting and occasionally takes shots after practice.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (10-4): Forward Dirk Nowitzki had trouble getting shots to drop against Houston, scoring a season-low 11 points on 4-of-18 shooting, missing all eight 3-point attempts. Nowitzki has scored 15 or fewer points in four of the past five games with his lone big outing during the stretch being 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting against the Los Angeles Lakers. “We still should have won the game,” Nowitzki said after the loss to the Rockets.” I don’t care. I missed a lot of shots but up four with 50-something seconds to go, you’ve got to find a way against a division rival to pull that game out.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Dallas has won 12 of its last 15 home games against the Pacers.
2. Indiana G C.J. Miles (calf) could miss his fourth straight game.
3. Mavericks C Tyson Chandler recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds against the Rockets.