Mavs 134, Pacers 130: The Tankathon Bowl series begins

Things have changed a lot in four months for the Mavs.

The last time the Dallas Mavericks faced the Indiana Pacers, Anthony Davis, the prized return in the Luka Dončić trade, suffered an injury in the first quarter.

Davis, who entered the game with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy, landed awkwardly on his left leg while re-aggravating the injury. He tried to run back on defense but did not make it down the court. The injury became a microcosm of Davis’ short-lived tenure in Dallas.

It was also the first time Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont stepped out from the shadows at American Airlines Center and began making his voice heard. Dumont reportedly instructed the Mavericks to hold Davis out until his calf was fully healed, after the former Mavericks center believed he was ready to return.

Davis suffered ligament damage in his left hand Jan. 8 and was subsequently traded to Washington prior to the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline. Entering Sunday, Dallas was 5-12 since Davis last played for the team.

But even without rookie star Cooper Flagg, Dallas defeated Indiana 134-130 on Sunday evening.

Mavericks forward Khris Middleton had 25 points, seven assists and seven rebounds to help the team end its 10-game losing streak. The Mavericks’ previous win came Jan. 22 against Golden State, which was playing its first game since Jimmy Butler tore his ACL.

The Mavericks led at the end of the first quarter and at halftime for the first time since Jan. 19 against New York. Dallas moved to 1-4 on its six-game road trip, which concludes Tuesday against Brooklyn.

Naji Marshall had 17 points and P.J. Washington added 23 points and nine rebounds for Dallas. The Mavericks had six players in double figures.

Indiana’s Pascal Siakam had a game-high 27 points, while Andrew Nembhard — the older brother of Mavericks point guard Ryan Nembhard — added 22 points. The Pacers made 19 shots from behind the arc, which is a season-high.