Dallas didn't just escape Indiana on Monday night. The Mavericks found a compelling answer to a question that has followed their early season: who takes over when a game tightens? Cooper Flagg scored 43 points and Kyrie Irving added 35 as Dallas overturned a double-digit deficit to beat the Pacers 125–122, completing a three-game home sweep and moving to 7–4. The pair accounted for 78 points, but the most revealing number was their combined 26 in the fourth quarter.
Indiana had every reason to believe it could take the game. Pascal Siakam scored 26 of his 29 points before half-time, hitting five threes as the Pacers built a 66–56 lead at the break. He was also a playmaker and rebounder, finishing with nine boards and eight assists. Dallas couldn't keep relying on the same defensive possessions that had allowed Indiana's leading forward to dictate the opening half.
Flagg's response changed the shape of the contest. The 19-year-old finished 16-of-25 from the floor with 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals, scoring 30 after half-time. That's not merely a high-volume scoring night: he was able to carry an attacking load while still supplying the rebounds and secondary decisions Dallas needed to stay in the game. By the final quarter, Indiana had to contend with two creators who could punish different coverages.
Irving made seven of his 10 three-point attempts and finished with 35 points. Just as importantly, he played 38 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back, after logging 28 in the win over Brooklyn. For a guard returning this season from a lengthy ACL absence, the workload was a concrete part of the story. Dallas had both its experienced closer and its emerging centrepiece available for the decisive possessions, rather than asking Flagg to manufacture everything alone.
The finish was far from tidy. Irving's late free throws gave Dallas a 125–122 advantage, but Aaron Nesmith had a chance to tie from deep. P.J. Washington then missed two free throws, leaving Indiana another possession. Caleb Martin's deflection of Andrew Nembhard's inbound pass prevented a final shot. It was a reminder that a thrilling comeback can still be nearly undone by two empty trips to the line.
There was a quieter contrast beneath the headline scorers. Indiana moved the ball for 35 assists and shot efficiently, yet Dallas won the rebounding contest 43–27. That 16-board gap helped the Mavericks survive a night when the Pacers' passing generated plenty of clean offence. The final score wasn't decided by who produced the prettier possessions; Dallas made enough extra ones count and had the better scoring answers after the interval.
Indiana's 3–8 start now includes another defeat in which its first-half work wasn't rewarded. Siakam's three second-half points were especially costly after his extraordinary opening, even with Nesmith adding 18 and Nembhard recording 12 assists. The Pacers head home to face Washington on Wednesday needing a more reliable late-game route than asking their early scorer to keep carrying the same burden.
For Dallas, the bigger takeaway isn't simply that Flagg reached 43. It's that the Mavericks won a close game with Flagg and Irving sharing the late offence, and did it immediately after a comfortable win over Brooklyn. A 7–4 record and three straight home victories give them a stronger platform before Thursday's trip to Minnesota. Their two most dangerous shot-makers have offered a glimpse of how this team can win when the scoreboard stops being comfortable.
Dallas' own account of the comeback and Irving–Flagg partnership is available at Mavericks.com. The official Pacers box score records the player and team totals, while Reuters' game report details the late-game sequence.
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