Mavericks GameDay: Monta Ellis leads Pacers back to Dallas to take on Mavs

Pacers at Mavericks

1 p.m. Saturday, American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: FSSW Radio: ESPN/103.3 FM and 1540 AM (Spanish)

Records: Pacers 34-30, Mavericks 33-32

About the Pacers: Indiana hasn’t played since Monday’s 99-91 win over the San Antonio Spurs so the Pacers will have had four days rest. ... Monta Ellis scored 26 points and Paul George 23 in the win over the Spurs. Ellis was a key player for the Mavericks the past two seasons before opting out of his contract last summer and signing a free-agent deal with the Pacers. When asked about facing Ellis, Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons said: “He’s just another player on another team to me.” ... George leads the Pacers with 23.6 points and 7.0 rebounds a game, while Ellis averages 14.5 points and 4.7 assists. ... The Pacers have lost four of their past seven games. ... It’s homecoming for Indiana rookie Myles Turner, who graduated from Euless Trinity High School and played one season at the University of Texas before becoming the 11th overall pick last summer. Turner was the NBA Eastern Conference rookie of the month for February.

About the Mavericks: Having lost their past four games, the Mavericks are circling the wagons and trying to figure out what it takes to win. It’s their longest losing streak of the season. ... This is the finale of a three-game homestand that began with losses to the Clippers (109-90) on Monday and Pistons (106-92) on Wednesday. ... After the game against the Pacers, the Mavericks start a two-game road trip Monday to Charlotte and Wednesday in Cleveland against LeBron James and the Cavaliers. . ... The Mavericks lost to the Pacers 107-81 in Indiana on Dec. 16. The 26-point deficit ties their second-worst loss of the season.

This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Mavericks GameDay: Monta Ellis leads Pacers back to Dallas to take on Mavs."