Apparently, the Pacers play well against teams that went further than them in the playoffs. They bounced back from a disappointing defeat to the Pelicans with an encouraging win against last year's Finals runner up, the Dallas Mavericks. That's life in the NBA for you.

So what did the Pacers do well? To start, Tyrese Haliburton looked a bit more like his old self. He racked up a 25 point, 12 assist double-double. That makes his fourth double-double in a row, which is hopefully a sign that water is starting to find its level.

Even amidst his struggles, Rick Carlisle has been thrilled with Tyrese's leadership thus far this season. Giving out max contracts in the NBA is always a bit of a risk considering the amount of cap space you are committing to a player. What has always made it a no brainer in the case of Haliburton is his personality. You just have to have faith that someone like him will make things work in the long run.

I suppose I should have started with Myles Turner, who led the team in scoring with 30 points and five made threes. Nobody loves home cooking more than Myles, as he always seems to show out when he's back in the Big D.

Bennedict Mathurin played well again, coming up clutch with a number of fourth quarter buckets that sealed the game for the Pacers. His play to start the season has been worthy of a lottery selection, which is obviously a very welcome sight.

Speaking of lottery selections, Rick Carlisle is happy with how Jarace Walker is developing. The coach feels that his tough love approach has created a sense of urgency for Walker while he's on the court. Unlike last year, he's well aware of the commitment to defense and rebounding necessary for him to earn minutes and Carlisle is proud of growth in Walker's mental approach.

Last but certainly not least, we should give flowers to Pascal Siakam, who's been just the steady hand that the Pacers needed when they traded for him.

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET.

TV: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

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