Mavericks at Pacers
The Indiana Pacers’ postseason hopes are still alive despite losing seven of the last eight and they can gain confidence when they host the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. The Pacers trail Boston by one game for eighth place in the Eastern Conference and have four straight contests against teams they are battling with for the final two playoff spots after meeting Dallas. The Mavericks dropped three of their last four and leading scorer Monta Ellis is doubtful with a calf injury.
Ellis suffered the injury Friday and Dallas, which is solidly in seventh in the Western Conference, likely won’t rush him back as it closes in on clinching a postseason spot. Pacers forward David West could return from an illness which kept him out of Thursday’s 111-107 loss to Milwaukee and guard Rodney Stuckey (calf) is also questionable after missing the last three games. The Pacers earned a 111-100 victory at Dallas on Nov. 24 after the Mavericks swept a pair from them last season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (45-28): Dallas split with defending NBA champion San Antonio the last two outings and stands 1 ½ games behind the Spurs for sixth place in the West. The Mavericks must recover from a 37.8 percent shooting performance Friday with Ellis (19.1 points per game) going down in the third quarter and Dirk Nowitzki (17.1) scoring only seven. Chandler Parsons (15.5) is averaging 12.6 points in the last five games since pouring in 31 against Oklahoma City on March 16.
ABOUT THE PACERS (31-41): Indiana trailed by 19 at Milwaukee on Thursday after one quarter before rallying to give itself a chance as George Hill, C.J. Miles and C.J. Watson combined for 73 points. Hill leads the team in scoring overall (15.9) and is averaging 23 points to go along with 5.8 assists per game over his last five outings while shooting 55.6 percent from the field. The Pacers will need West and Stuckey back, but center Roy Hibbert has stepped up to average 13.3 points the last seven games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Watson has made 7-of-13 from behind the 3-point arc in the last three games for Indiana.
2. Dallas C Tyson Chandler scored in double figures (10) Friday for only the second time in his last 12 games.
3. The Mavericks are third in the league in scoring (104.2) and Indiana is sixth in points allowed (97.3).