Mavs will face Pacers possibly without Luka Doncic

INDIANAPOLIS – They’ve lost a season-high tying four consecutive games, including the past two to a Charlotte Hornets’ team that has the fourth-worst record in the entire NBA. Now, the Dallas Mavericks face the prospects of squaring off against the Indiana Pacers on Monday at 6 p.m. without the services of superstar point guard Luka Doncic.

Thanks to drawing his 16^th technical foul of the season during Sunday’s 110-104 loss in Charlotte, Doncic must serve an automatic one-game suspension, which will occur against the Pacers. The suspension won’t happen if the NBA determines Sunday’s technical wasn’t warranted, thus rescinding it and making Doncic eligible to play against Indiana.

The likely candidates to have their minutes increased by coach Jason Kidd against the Pacers if Doncic is suspended include Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaden Hardy, Josh Green and Justin Holiday.

“The next man up mentality,” Hardaway said. “It sounds cliché, but we’ve got guys out here that can compete as well and go out there and can have a big game for us on any given night.

“So, we’ll trust that person, whoever J-Kidd decides to put in the game. We’ll trust that person to go out there and compete on both ends and help us.”

Ironically, Sunday was the first time in nearly three months that Kidd didn’t have any players on the injury list when he made that announcement prior to the game against the Hornets. Now, he may be without his best player during one of the most important games of the season.

“You’re never going to replace (Doncic),” Kidd said. “It’s going to take a group. So, the next man up mentality with Timmy, and we’ll look at Hardy and Josh participating and playing more minutes, and Holiday playing more minutes.

“But hopefully (Doncic’s 16^th technical foul is) rescinded. We didn’t think it was warranted, but we’ll see what happens. If he is suspended, we have to move on – (to) the next guy.”

Meanwhile, Hardaway knows the losing has to eventually stop. The Mavs are currently 11^th in the Western Conference with seven games remaining, and wouldn’t even be in the play-in tournament if the regular season ended right now.

“We’re given the game plan,” Hardaway said. “We’re professionals. That’s all I can say.”

Hardaway also said: “I think it just comes down to looking at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and seeing what you can do to help the team. The desire to win has to be at an all-time high right now.

“Even being a couple games out of the play-in and a couple more games out of not even being in the play-in. . .like I said, the desire has to be at an all-time high right now.”

*Monday’s game is the second of a five-game road trip for the Mavs. The trip also includes games in Philadelphia on Wednesday, in Miami on Saturday and in Atlanta on Sunday before the Mavs return home to entertain Sacramento on April 5. The Mavs also have remaining home games against Chicago on April 7 and San Antonio on April 9.

*The Pacers are in a fight of their lives for at least a spot in the play-in tournament. Indiana is in 11^th place in the Eastern Conference with 42 losses and seven games remaining. Seeds eight through 10 all have 42 losses and are occupied by Atlanta, Toronto and Chicago, respectively.

*The Mavs are just 2-9 on the second night of a back-to-back. One of those two wins came on Oct. 30 at home against Orlando (114-105) — one night after losing at home to Oklahoma City (117-111 in overtime). The other win on the second night of a back-to-back was on Dec. 6 at Denver (116-115) – one night following a 130-111 victory at home over Phoenix.

*All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton (20.7 ppg, 10.4 apg), Euless Trinity High School product Myles Turner (18 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Buddy Hield (16.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and rookie Bennedict Mathurin (16.3 ppg) are the top producers for the Pacers.

*Although he scored 40 points Sunday against Charlotte, Luka Doncic remains second in the NBA in scoring behind Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, who scored 28 points this past Saturday in Phoenix. Doncic averages 33 ppg, while Embiid is averaging 33.3 ppg.

DALLAS MAVERICKS (36-39) at INDIANA PACERS (33-42)

Time: 6 p.m., Monday

Place: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

TV: BSSW; NBA TV

Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

Twitter: @DwainPrice