Brunson helps Mavs beat Pacers to end 5-game skid

[February 28, 2019]  The Dallas Mavericks got another impressive outing from their fearless rookie guard -- no, not Luka Doncic, but second-round pick Jalen Brunson.

Brunson, one of the quiet surprises in the league this season, drilled a clinching 3-pointer with 1:03 to play, and the Mavericks beat the visiting Indiana Pacers 110-101 Wednesday night. Brunson finished with a career-best 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, and he added five assists and three steals.

That other Dallas rookie, Doncic, also delivered another special performance with 26 points, including a deep 3-pointer with 2:02 to go for a 103-96 lead. He followed it up with four more points down the stretch to help Dallas snap a five-game losing streak.

Doncic also had 10 rebounds and seven assists, though he committed seven turnovers.

Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 20 points to give Dallas three scorers with at least 20 points for a second consecutive game, a feat prior to Monday's game that they hadn't accomplished since January 2018.

All five Dallas starters scored in double figures, including Dirk Nowitzki, in the starting lineup for the third consecutive game. Nowitzki had 11 points in 21 minutes, sinking a pair of 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers ended their three-game road trip with consecutive losses. While Indiana shot better than 50 percent from the floor through three quarters, the team went cold in the final period, missing 11 of 18 shots.

Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) and forward Luka Doncic (77) celebrate during the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Bojan Bogdanovic led Indiana with 22 points but managed just four points in the fourth quarter. Wesley Matthews, in his return to Dallas since being traded prior to the deadline, contributed 20 points, including two late 3-pointers to give the Pacers a shot to pull it out.

Dallas-area native Myles Turner, who has averaged 19.2 points against the Mavs, his highest average against any opponent in his career, was limited to 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting. He was a non-factor on the boards with five rebounds.

--Field Level Media

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