The battle of the wounded took place at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night as the Dallas Mavericks hosted the Indiana Pacers.
Both teams, hindered by injuries and a half-game apart toward the bottom of the NBA standings, desperately needed a jolt of positivity. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, the injury bug bit another one of their big men despite ending their five-game homestand with a 107-104 win over the Pacers.
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Anthony Davis entered the game dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy, but Mavericks coach Jason Kidd declared him available during his pregame press conference.
Mavericks
Davis started his second consecutive game at center with Dereck Lively II sidelined with a right knee sprain. His night came to a premature end at the 6:36 mark of the first quarter after an awkward landing following a floater. The Mavericks star checked himself out of the game and held his left leg before he walked to the locker room.
Davis was initially listed as questionable following his exit, but the Mavericks ruled him out for the remainder of the game during halftime.
Despite his absence, the Mavericks had plenty of unsung heroes in Wednesday’s win. Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
The Pacers were without eight players, including Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell. Despite the lack of firepower, Pascal Siakam finished with 15 points and 19 rebounds.
Here are a couple of other takeaways from Wednesday’s win over the Pacers:
Williams bounces back
Williams returned to the lineup Wednesday after a two-game hiatus and regained the offensive momentum he left fans with toward the end of last season.
The Mavericks desperately needed someone how could create his own shot and Williams provided instant offense off the bench. Williams showed his versatility inside the arc and finished at the rim, while also knocking down jumpers from the midrange. also gave effort on the boards with seven rebounds, just one shy of his career-high.
Brandon Williams has a team-high 10 points on 5-6 FGs after this midrange jumper. His play here in the second quarter has Dallas within two points with 3:18 left in the half. pic.twitter.com/tmxX3sipPN
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) October 30, 2025
Williams proved to be the difference-maker in what was a bounce-back game after a week of adversity. Before the game, Williams apologized for “being a distraction” following his recent arrest for possession of marijuana.
With Williams officially back in the lineup and what appears to be back to form, the Mavericks could have more options at the point guard spot going into Saturday’s game in Mexico City against the Pistons.
Powell takes advantage of opportunity
Dwight Powell received an opportunity to receive extended minutes after Davis was sidelined early in the game.
The veteran center’s number is typically called upon when the Mavericks’ frontcourt depth is being tested. Wednesday’s emergency called for a reason to break the glass and rely on Powell to man the inside of the paint. He finished with a season-high 18 points and six rebounds. He connected on 4 of his 6 shot attempts and converted on two 3-point plays. He also knocked down 10-of-12 from the free throw line.
Powell, who opted into his player option during the offseason to remain in Dallas, received “MVP” chants during his trips to the stripe in the fourth quarter. As the longest-tenured Maverick, it was a token of appreciation from the crowd he’s played in front of for the past 12 seasons.
It is unclear how long the Mavericks will be without Davis, or when Lively or Daniel Gafford will return from their respective injuries. But on Wednesday, Powell played a significant part in helping the Mavericks earn their second win of the season.
Slow start at home not uncommon
The Mavericks are officially finished with a five-game homestand that will end with a record of 2-3.
There are seven teams that had the privilege of playing in front of their home crowd for five straight games or more.
The last team had five consecutive home games were the Kansas City Kings (before they relocated to Sacramento), who also finished with a 2-3 record during the 1983 season. The only team to finish with a winning record is the Pacers, which finished 3-2 in 1978. Philadelphia’s 1946 squad had a 3-3 record after playing their first six games at home.
Last season, the Mavericks finished with a home record of 22-18.
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More bad timing for the Mavericks, who are already without centers Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford.
The Mavericks will play their eighth game in Mexico City on Saturday, facing the Detroit Pistons at Arena CDMX.
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
