Dallas brings a 6-4 record and a higher power-index ranking into Monday’s matchup, while Indiana has quietly gone 3-2 on the road.
Monday’s game offers an early standings test: Dallas is 6-4 and 15th in the power index, while Indiana is 3-7 and 22nd. The Pacers’ 3-2 road record gives them a foothold despite their overall mark, but Dallas is 4-2 at home. Cooper Flagg has delivered 216 points and 63 assists in nine games; Indiana’s Pascal Siakam has 193 points in nine. With Tyrese Haliburton out, Andrew Nembhard’s 57 assists in eight appearances become especially important against a Dallas team allowing 109.1 points per game. The deciding question is whether Indiana can create enough offense without Haliburton while containing Flagg’s scoring and playmaking.