The Mavericks will welcome former coach Rick Carlisle and his new squad, the Indiana Pacers, to Dallas on Saturday.
Carlisle led the Mavericks from 2008-09 through last season, guiding the team to the 2011 NBA championship along the way. He returned to the Indiana Pacers, the team he coached from 2003-04 through 2006-07, before this season.
The first campaign of Carlisle’s second tenure in Indiana has been rocky. The Pacers needed overtime Friday in Oklahoma City to avoid their third losing streak of at least four games over the past month alone.
Domantas Sabonis fueled Indiana’s 113-110 win over the Thunder with 24 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. The triple-double came despite Sabonis being listed as questionable ahead of tipoff due to an ankle injury that sidelined him the previous four games.
“Definitely feels better after a win,” Sabonis said of his ankle in the postgame press conference. “To be honest, I couldn’t feel it out there.”
Justin Holiday added 22 points, sinking 4 of…