Pacers face Dallas again, this time without Haliburton

The last time these teams met, Dallas spoiled Tyrese Haliburton's first home game since the 2025 NBA Finals, winning 121-105 in Indianapolis on 23 October. This time Haliburton is out with a left hamstring strain, and Indiana arrives at 3-7 at the end of a three-game road trip that went through Mexico City.

That first meeting had an edge. Cooper Flagg hurt his left shoulder on a flagrant foul by Aaron Nesmith as he went up for what looked like a breakaway dunk, a brief shoving match brought a double technical, and Flagg did not return after halftime. Dallas led by as many as 37.

Flagg is in form now. He is averaging about 24 points, nearly seven rebounds and more than six assists, and had 25 points and a career-high 12 assists in a 130-93 rout of Brooklyn on 8 November. The catch for Dallas (6-4) is the schedule: this is the second night of a back-to-back, and Dereck Lively II is still out.

Indiana leans on Pascal Siakam, who scored 23 in the October meeting and 23 again against Denver in Mexico City, with T.J. McConnell questionable. Indiana's coach, Rick Carlisle, coached Dallas from 2008 to 2021, including the 2011 title.

The market prices Dallas at 57%, well short of ESPN's matchup predictor at about 74%. Is a back-to-back worth that much, or are the Mavericks being undersold?