Pacers Struggle to Stop Mavericks in 134-130 Loss

Indiana sits alone in last place in the East, three games behind the Kings in the lottery standings.

Feb. 23, 2026 at 12:37am

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The Indiana Pacers fell to 15-43 on the season after a 134-130 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Despite impressive offensive performances from Pascal Siakam (30 points) and Kobe Brown (career-high 15 points), the Pacers were unable to slow down the Mavericks, who shot 54.3% from the field and scored 64 points in the paint. Veteran forward Khris Middleton led the Mavericks with 25 points.

Why it matters

The Pacers' loss keeps them firmly in last place in the Eastern Conference standings and just ahead of the Sacramento Kings for the worst record in the NBA. This continued poor performance raises questions about the team's direction and ability to compete, even with the return of All-Star Pascal Siakam.

The details

The Mavericks shot the ball efficiently, connecting on 54.3% of their field goals and scoring 64 points in the paint. They also capitalized on 16 Pacers turnovers, scoring 19 points off those miscues. In contrast, the Pacers were only able to score 10 points off 11 Mavericks turnovers. Veteran forward Khris Middleton had a vintage performance for Dallas, scoring 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting.

  • The Pacers fell to 15-43 on the season.
  • The Mavericks improved to 20-36 on the year.

The players

Pascal Siakam

The Pacers' All-Star forward led the team with 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range.

Khris Middleton

The veteran Mavericks forward scored a team-high 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Kobe Brown

The newly acquired Pacers forward scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

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What they’re saying

“The Pacers got enough impressive offensive performances in this one to keep them within striking distance for the game's entirety but they were never able to take control because they couldn't get enough stops and committed too many turnovers, keeping with recent trends.”

— Dustin Dopirak, Author (indystar.com)

The takeaway

The Pacers' inability to slow down the Mavericks' efficient offense and their own turnover issues continue to plague the team, keeping them firmly rooted in the NBA's basement as they look to the future and the upcoming draft lottery.