Malcolm Brogdon and the Indiana Pacers suffered another tough loss on Wednesday, this time against Luka Doncic and the short-handed Dallas Mavericks. Brogdon's team-high of 26 points wasn't enough as a late surge in the fourth quarter helped the visiting Mavericks pull off the 124-112 victory.
The Pacers were also missing some key guys, including starting big man Myles Turner, who is out with a right hand injury. After back-to-back losses without their leading rim protector, the problem is quite simple and evident for Brogdon (via Pacers reporter Scott Agness).
Asked for his biggest takeaway from the loss, Malcolm Brogdon puts it simply: “We need Myles."
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) January 21, 2021
The Pacers are missing an NBA-leading 4.2 blocks per game in Turner's absence. The team had to rely on Domantas Sabonis as main paint defender for the second game in a row and without a true center in the lineup, the struggles will seem to linger until the 24-year-old Turner gets back.
Coming into the game, the Mavericks were actually struggling as they dropped their last three assignments with a handful of players sitting out due to COVID-19 protocols. But they did have Kristaps Porzingis playing in his fifth game back after knee surgery and led the way against the Pacers as he dropped season-highs of 27 points and 13 boards and took full advantage of the opponent's ailing frontcourt. Doncic, meanwhile, notched another triple-double with 13 points, 12 boards, and 12 assists.
Malcolm Brogdon got plenty of help from Sabonis' 25 markers, 10 rebounds, and four assists, but they had no answer on the defensive end.
A positive note amid the loss is that Turner's fractured right hand injury doesn't seem as serious as it initially was. He won't need surgery and is currently on a day-to-day status.
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