Mavericks bench comes up big in win over Pacers

Brandon Williams’ 20 points led a 64-point night from Dallas reserves, and rookie Cooper Flagg recorded a double-double as the Mavericks sent the visiting Indiana Pacers to their fourth consecutive loss in a 107-105 decision on Wednesday.

Dallas lost big man Anthony Davis a little more than midway through the first quarter when, after scoring on a floater, he favored his left leg and hobbled off. Playing without Davis the rest of the way, the Mavericks bench stepped up in a big way.

Williams, who also grabbed seven rebounds, led three Dallas reserves scoring in double-figures. D’Angelo Russell scored 14 points, while Dwight Powell shot 4-of-6 from the floor and effectively attacked the Indiana defense to get to the charity stripe for 10 free throws made on 12 attempts.

Powell’s effort helped Dallas to a pivotal 30-of-37 foul-shooting edge against the Pacers’ 18-of-28.

One of Indiana’s 10 misses at the foul line was intentional, however, as Williams committed a take foul with the Mavericks up three in the closing seconds. That sent RayJ Dennis to the stripe, where he made the first and, needing two more points, fired a line-drive that caromed off the rim.

In the ensuing scramble, Aaron Nesmith had a wide-open look at a potential game-winning 3-pointer for the Pacers, but his shot was no good. The missed attempt relegated the 2025 Eastern Conference champions to an 0-4 start.

Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 27 points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Along with Jarace Walker’s 20 points, and 17 points off the bench from Dennis, Indiana remained in striking distance despite trailing much of the way.

The ending flourish came after the Pacers closed a gap of as many as 12 points in the final five minutes.

The balanced play from Dallas proved too much for Indiana, which closed an 0-3 road swing with Wednesday’s contest.

Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in last June’s draft, bounced back from the worst game of his young career. After scoring just two points on 1-of-9 shooting, sustaining a shoulder injury early against reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City on Monday, Flagg finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday.