Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton is back at the Fieldhouse after missing all of last season. He found his inner Reggie Miller in the fourth quarter of the Pacers' opening-night win over the Pelicans, scoring eight points in 90 seconds. The catalyst for a 15-3 run that erased an eight-point deficit. Lost in the celebration is the lack of guard production off the bench with T.J. McConnell still out with a hamstring.
If Dallas's opening-night loss to Houston is a sign of what's to come, Mavs fans, you'd be better off watching TLC or Bravo with your beloved. The Rockets won the second quarter 38-12 and led by 32 at the half. While it's far too early to write any team off (well, except the Kings), Dallas could be in for a long season.
Dusty May is in his first year as an NBA head coach, and the roster has undergone change after change in the post-Luka era. The sole focus is Cooper Flagg's development and finding the pieces to put around him long term. Flagg dropped 32 at Houston on Wednesday, with 23 coming in the second half on eight-of-nine shooting. It was the most by a teenager in a season opener in NBA history. Yes, he is still 19 years young.
While the Pacers at full strength are levels above this current Mavericks roster, they are missing key pieces to start the season. McConnell is out for a second straight game, Aaron Nesmith is questionable, and undrafted guard Quenton Jackson ended up closing Wednesday's game. The Mavs have their own absences, with Santi Aldama, Caleb Martin and Dereck Lively all out. Still, after an abysmal start in their opener, Dallas won the second half by 14 at Houston. With Flagg and Kyrie Irving on the floor, they are an intriguing dog against inflated spreads. Add a bench that put up 46 to Indiana's 32, and a 6.5-point cushion looks like value. I'll take the Mavericks and the points.
Mavericks vs Pacers prediction: Dallas Mavericks +6.5 (-113) available at time of publishing. Playable to +5.5.
