Without many key starters, Indiana Pacers can't keep up with Dallas Mavericks

The Indiana Pacers were without their three top scorers on Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks, and it showed.

Tyrese Haliburton (ankle), Myles Turner (back), and Buddy Hield (non-COVID illness) all missed the game, so the blue and gold were reliant on younger players and a unique rotation. It was going to be an uphill battle.

In the first quarter, Indiana looked capable and effective. Andrew Nembhard, who started at point guard with Haliburton out, was creating shots and finishing plays. Bennedict Mathurin knocked down a few looks, as did Jordan Nwora. Despite being shorthanded, it was just a two-point game after one quarter.

"I thought the first quarter was okay," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. That was the last stretch of the game where that description could be used.

From that point on, scoring was difficult for the blue and gold. They had just 20 points in the second quarter and turned the ball over six times. Indiana was 1/7 from long range in the frame, and the only make came at the halftime buzzer. The Pacers were down by a dozen at the break and had a ton of work to do to climb back in the game.

Instead, it was the Mavericks who improved. They ballooned their lead to 25 during the third quarter, and it wasn't until the quarter was halfway over that the Pacers finally started to knock some shots down. Mathurin, Nwora, and Jalen Smith each hit a few, but the Mavericks answered every time. Dallas led by 25 heading into the final frame.

Indiana kept at it but mustered just five points in the first four minutes of the last quarter. They had little offensive punch in this game, and that gave them no chance to catch up to the Mavericks.

"I think that they scored it really well. They've got a lot of talent over there," Pacers rookie point guard Andrew Nembhard said of the Mavericks. "They had a lot of guys that can kind of fill it up."

In the end, Dallas destroyed Indiana. The final score was 127-104, and the 23 point margin of defeat was one of the largest the Pacers have seen all year. They had little chance with multiple key players out.

The Pacers started experimenting with lineups over the weekend, and that may be the theme of their season with six games to go. With several talented players banged up and the blue and gold all but eliminated from the postseason, more opportunities could be coming for Indiana's youngsters down the stretch.

Mathurin, for example, played for 38:22, the third most he has played all season. Jordan Nwora and Aaron Nesmith both were on the court for more than 30 minutes, and each player got more chances to create with the ball in their hands. As the Pacers season winds down, developing players will get more chances to play and grow.

"Guys are learning and they are finding out what it's about," Carlisle said after the game. He said that youngsters adding more responsibility has value.

Mathurin was solid in this game after a rough weekend. He finished with 26 points and four rebounds, it was his fifth-highest scoring outing of the season. Figuring out how he can best be utilized should be a priority for the Pacers down the stretch of this campaign.

Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell both had decent offensive nights at point guard. Backup big man Isaiah Jackson finished with eight points and 12 rebounds. A few Pacers had solid nights amid the defeat.

The Pacers fell to 33-43 with the loss. They are 10 games under .500 for the first time all season and are only technically still alive in a play-in tournament hunt, but just barely. Their season could be over soon.

They will look to get back on track on Wednesday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks, who they took down just a few weeks ago.

• One-on-one with Fort Wayne Mad Ants guard and former top-10 pick Elfrid Payton. CLICK HERE.
• Jordan Nwora sets Indiana Pacers regular season franchise record for points in one quarter with 25. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers make NBA history as three Canadian players start together for the first time ever. CLICK HERE.
• Cleveland Cavaliers clinch playoff berth, will officially send first-round draft pick to Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
• Follow AllPacers on Facebook: All Pacers SI
• Follow AllPacers on Twitter: @SIPacers