Monday was the second night of a back-to-back for Dallas, one night after a 130-93 win over Brooklyn. Indiana came in at 3-7.

Pascal Siakam made 8 of his 9 shots in the first half, 5 of 6 from three, and scored 26 points before the break. The Pacers led 63-50 with 1:36 left in the second quarter and 66-56 at halftime.

Points by quarter, Mavericks vs. Pacers

Flagg had 13 points at halftime. He made his first three shots of the second half, a 10-foot turnaround, a 15-foot pull-up and an 8-foot floater, and went 6 for 6 from the field in the third quarter for 14 points.

Siakam scored one point in the third. Dallas won the quarter 34-27 and trailed only 93-90 going into the fourth.

First half vs. second half

Flagg tied it 93-93 with a 25-foot three 10 seconds into the fourth quarter. From there, he and Irving scored every Dallas point until the score was 103-99.

Irving’s 23-foot three with 9:36 left gave Dallas a 98-97 lead, its first of the second half. The Mavericks did not trail again, and they led by as many as eight at 116-108.

1. 10:50, Q4Flagg three: 93-93.
2. 10:00, Q4Irving jumper: 95-95.
3. 9:36, Q4Irving three: Dallas leads 98-97.
4. 9:14, Q4Flagg free throws: 100-97.
5. 8:30, Q4Irving makes three free throws: 103-99. That is Dallas’ first 13 points of the quarter, all from the two of them.
6. 5:23 to 4:19, Q4A Flagg three and two Flagg free throws, then a P.J. Washington free throw: 116-108, the largest Dallas lead.

Indiana kept coming. Aaron Nesmith made two threes in the final minute, and each one cut the Dallas lead to a single point.

Flagg answered both stretches with 18-foot pull-ups from the left side. Washington missed two free throws with four seconds left, but Caleb Martin tipped away Andrew Nembhard’s pass on Indiana’s last possession.

1. 1:14, Q4Nesmith makes three free throws: 118-116.
2. 1:02, Q4Flagg 18-foot pull-up: 120-116.
3. 0:52.1, Q4Nesmith three: 120-119.
4. 0:26.3, Q4Flagg 18-foot pull-up: 123-119.
5. 0:20.6, Q4Nesmith three: 123-122.
6. 0:18.0, Q4Irving free throws: 125-122. Martin’s deflection ends it.

Irving missed all of last season after tearing his ACL. Earlier this season he sat out the second game of Dallas’ first back-to-back. On Monday he played 38 minutes, his most of the season, a night after playing 28 against Brooklyn.

He scored 35 on 11-of-18 shooting, made a season-high seven threes and was plus-29, the best mark on either team. Dallas also won the offensive glass 10-1 and outrebounded Indiana 43-27.

Rebounds

Flagg, the reigning Rookie of the Year and the first pick in the 2025 draft, turns 20 on Dec. 21. According to the NBA, he and Kevin Durant in 2008 are the only players to record at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a game as teenagers.

It was the fifth 40-point game of his career. The other four came last season, including 51 against Orlando on April 4.

Flagg’s 40-point games (ET dates)

A week earlier, Flagg went 3 for 19 in a loss to Sacramento. Since then he has four straight double-doubles, five this season, and Dallas has won three straight to finish a 3-0 homestand.

His previous season high was 33. He is averaging 25.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 10 games, and Dallas is 7-3 when he plays.

Flagg points, game by game (ET dates)

At 7-4, Dallas is three games over .500 for the first time since March 1, 2025, when it was 32-29. Indiana fell to 3-8.

The Mavericks open a three-game road trip at Minnesota on Thursday at 7 p.m. Central, 3 a.m. Friday Cairo time. The Pacers host Washington on Wednesday.