The Dallas Mavericks survived Indiana’s bench before they survived Indiana’s stars. In Monday’s 125-122 victory at American Airlines Center, the Pacers’ reserves supplied 47 points, with Kelly Oubre Jr., Obi Toppin and Quenton Jackson accounting for 34 of them. That production did not build Indiana’s early lead by itself, but it kept Dallas from turning a hard-earned comeback into a comfortable finish.
Oubre scored 14 points, Toppin had 10 and Jackson added 10. Jackson also contributed five rebounds and four assists, while Toppin finished with four assists and no turnovers. Those are modest individual totals beside the 43 points Cooper Flagg scored for Dallas, yet together they gave Indiana reliable offense around Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard.
The bench’s contribution was clearest in the second quarter, when Indiana was still shaping the game rather than chasing it. Toppin scored on a driving layup at 9:51 and another layup at 9:20. Oubre followed with a dunk assisted by Toppin at 8:57.
Later, Jackson’s 23-foot three tied the game at 48. None of those plays turned the night into a one-man bench showcase. They did make Dallas account for several scoring options while Siakam was producing his own damage.
Siakam scored 26 points before halftime on 8-for-9 shooting, including 5-for-6 from three-point range, and went 5-for-6 at the line. He finished with 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists without a turnover. Indiana’s starters built plenty of the 66-56 halftime lead; the reserves helped keep the offense functioning around them.
That remained true after Dallas rallied. The Mavericks led 100-99 with 9:00 left when Oubre scored on a three-foot basket assisted by Siakam, leaving Indiana down 100-99. After Dallas stretched the margin to 106-99, Toppin answered with a layup assisted by Nembhard at 7:23. Toppin scored again on a running layup from Siakam with 3:18 remaining, when Dallas still needed another response.
The Pacers’ bench did not erase the Mavericks’ recovery. It made the recovery expensive. Dallas had to keep getting quality work from Flagg and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 26 of the Mavericks’ 35 fourth-quarter points.
Flagg scored 16 in the period, while Irving added 10, including a three-pointer at 9:36 that put Dallas ahead 98-97. Irving finished with 35 points and seven made threes on 10 attempts. Flagg added 10 rebounds and six assists to his season-high scoring night.
Dallas also found room to survive through possessions that did not belong to its reserves. Both teams made 43 field goals, and Indiana actually made one more three, 15-14. The Mavericks made four more free throws, 25-21, with Flagg going 8-for-8 and Irving 6-for-7.