Okay, let’s talk about how I dug into the player stats for that Pacers vs. Dallas Mavericks game. It’s something I do pretty often after watching a match, just to see the numbers behind the action.
Getting Started
First thing, I settled down after the game buzz wore off. Grabbed my tablet, the one I usually use for browsing stuff quickly. Didn’t feel like booting up the whole computer setup for this.
I opened up my usual web browser. My first instinct is often to just search directly, like “Pacers Mavericks player stats”. But sometimes that gives you a mess of links, sports betting sites, all sorts of junk. So, I decided to go straight to one of the big sports sites I trust.
Finding the Box Score
I navigated to ESPN first. It’s usually pretty reliable for scores and stats. Went to the NBA section, found the ‘Scores’ page. Had to scroll a bit, or sometimes they have a calendar view, to find the specific Pacers vs. Mavericks game from the right date.
Once I clicked on the game matchup, it usually defaults to a summary. What I was really looking for was the box score. That’s where you get the detailed player-by-player breakdown. There’s almost always a tab or link labeled “Box Score” right there near the top of the game summary page.
Clicked on that, and boom, there it was. Two tables, usually. One for the visiting team (Pacers in this case) and one for the home team (Mavericks).
Breaking Down the Numbers
Now the fun part, actually looking at the stats. The box score lays it all out:
- Minutes Played (MIN)
- Field Goals Made-Attempted (FG M-A)
- 3-Pointers Made-Attempted (3PT M-A)
- Free Throws Made-Attempted (FT M-A)
- Rebounds (REB – often broken down into Offensive/Defensive)
- Assists (AST)
- Steals (STL)
- Blocks (BLK)
- Turnovers (TO)
- Personal Fouls (PF)
- Points (PTS)
- Plus/Minus (+/-)
I scrolled through the Mavericks list first. Naturally, I looked for Doncic’s line, checked his points, assists, rebounds. Then checked Kyrie Irving’s stats too. See how the main guys performed.
Then I did the same for the Pacers. Looked for Haliburton’s numbers, see how he distributed the ball, his scoring. Checked Myles Turner’s performance, especially rebounds and blocks. Also scanned the bench players for both teams, see if anyone had a surprisingly good or bad night off the bench.
Sometimes, if a site’s layout is annoying or full of ads, I might try another one. The official NBA site is good too, or sometimes CBS Sports. They all present the same core data, just maybe look a bit different. It’s mostly about finding the layout you prefer.
Final Thoughts
It wasn’t complicated, really. Just involved navigating to a reliable sports news site, finding the specific game, and clicking on the box score section. Took maybe five minutes total. It helps to know what you’re looking for – the standard stat categories.
Doing this gives a clearer picture than just watching the game highlights. You see who was efficient, who struggled, who contributed in ways that don’t always show up on the flashy plays. Just a simple routine I have after watching games I’m interested in.
