THE SKINNY
After a chippy win against the up-and-coming Timberwolves in which boiling bad blood blew Granger's lid off his scoring limit and he took over the scoring with focus that hasn't shown thus far. This will be a true test against the defending champs who have righted their ship and look to defend their homecourt like the veterans they are. Carlisle views this matchup seriously, going so far as to call the Pacers contenders for the title.
THE LINEUPS
Point Guard
Darren Collison is taking much better care of the ball in his third season, and features an assist/turnover ratio of 2.72. The team's speed advantage is something Collison needs to exploit, and pushing the tempo against the Mavericks will be crucial in controlling the flow. Even though Jason Kidd is out, the backups at the position are dangerous. Roddy Beaubois is quick and can score, so Collison has to play good on-ball defense.
Shooting Guard
Paul George carried the Pacers against the Nets and then fell into foul trouble against the Timberwolves. If he can't get on the floor, those minutes can't go to the injured George Hill. Vince Carter's recent success has led to the Mavericks' success and his failure is the Mavericks' failure. George needs to focus on taking away the scoring of Carter and taking it to the hole on the other end.
Small Forward
It seems Granger's offense is now clicking, and part of it is that his aggressiveness is now turning into trips to the line instead of turnovers. The other part is that his shots are falling. However, scoring 36 on Wes Johnson won't be as easy as scoring 36 on Shawn Marion. Marion is a good defender with length to contest and hands to deflect, making him a tough defensive matchup for Granger.
Power Forward
Even though he's currently in a funk, Dirk Nowitzki is definitely a player who can light it up on any given night. David West needs to play smart defense and more importantly, make Dirk work on the other end of the court.
Center
Roy Hibbert continues his stellar play and faces a depleted frontline from Dallas, meaning he'll be matched up against the likes of Yi Jianlian, Brendan Wright, and even Lamar Odom. Ian Mahinmi is a solid contributor who shouldn't be taken for granted, and has the size to contend with Hibbert down low. The Pacers have enjoyed feeding it to Hibbert, but more and more teams are keying into that portion of the offense, so that's where Hibbert's passing will come into effect.
THE BENCH
Without George Hill, Lance Stephenson will need to step up his game. When he makes good decision they almost always end up in a good play for the Pacers. He needs to not try and do the one-on-one things on offense, and try getting inside more often. Tyler Hansbrough's efficiency hasn't really been there. A lot of the time the refs aren't on his side, so he needs to adjust accordingly.
THE COACHES
Frank Vogel is now eying the #3 spot guaranteed in the East with a win tonight. He faces Rick Carlisle, who now has a ring to his name after successful runs with Detroit and Indiana. Vogel has used the Mavericks among other teams as his template for the Pacers, and Carlisle is taking this team seriously, so they will be tested.
THE INJURY REPORT
Pacers
Jeff Foster: Back - No.
George Hill: Ankle - No.
Mavericks
Lamar Odom: Sniffles - Probably.
Brendan Haywood: Back - Probably not.
Jason Kidd: Calf - Out.
THE HEAVY MATTERS
-Control the tempo. Push it against the older team, especially off turnovers and misses.
-Bench players need to step up. With George Hill out, the backcourt of Price and Stephenson cannot combine for 1-8.
THE TRADITION
