After a less-than-stellar performance on Thursday against the Houston Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks centers Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II bounced back with authority in Sunday’s 108-85 win over the Orlando Magic.

Gafford finished the season with a season-high 18 points and a season-high eight rebounds in just 20 minutes. Lively came off the bench to contribute 11 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in 20 minutes.

This after the pair combined for just 12 points and six rebounds in the 108-102 loss to Houston.

The Mavericks are hoping this is the start of a big run from their big men, a resurgence they can continue Monday against Indiana at American Airlines Center.

Against the Magic, Gafford was very efficient, 9 of 13 from the field for 69.2 percent, while Lively converted five of his seven field goal attempts for a whopping 71.4 percent. Both players continued to attack Orlando inside the field while re-establishing themselves as a strong force on both ends of the pitch.

“The first game (Sunday) we went to Gafford,” point guard Luka Dončić said. “That’s what we wanted to do: get him going early because we know he’s a monster at that – they both are.

“When they play like thatThat helps everyone else on the team, so we have to keep them going.”

Reacting to Dončić calling him and Lively “monsters,” Gafford said: “I think that word is a good word for us whenever we’re both in the right mindset and the game doesn’t just go away Joints come up.” We are in control when it comes to the referees or something like that. Just take a stand and just go out and do the things we’re good at.

“(We have to) do it at a high level and just free up space for everyone. Setting screens, getting rebounds, having energy – pretty much everything.”

What Gafford and Lively accomplished against the Magic is similar to their solid play last season in the Mavs’ run to the NBA Finals. Once again they show that they are a dominant tag team and bring a lot of physicality to the court.

Here are some nuggets surrounding Monday’s game between the Mavs and Pacers.

*This will be the third of five home games for the Mavs. After Monday, the home game against the Chicago Bulls continues on Wednesday ends Friday against the Phoenix Suns before the Mavs travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Sunday. The Mavs are 1-1 at home.

*For the Pacers, this is the finale of a short two-game trip that began with Friday’s 125-118 loss at New Orleans. After playing the Mavs, the Pacers travel home to host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

*Why the late start for Monday’s game? Due to Election Day, no team will play on Tuesday. But all 30 NBA teams will play on Monday. Starting with a 6:00 p.m. game when Cleveland hosts Milwaukee, an NBA game will kick off every 15 minutes – and ends with a 9:30 p.m. kickoff when the San Antonio Spurs play the Los Angeles Clippers.

*The Pacers are led by Pascal Siakam (19.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 5.3 apg), Bennedict Mathurin (16.3 ppg) and Myles Turner (14.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg). Also for the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton averages 14 ppg and 7.3 apg and Obi Toppin averages 10.7 ppg. Siakam scored 29 points and hit a game-winning three-pointer with 6.1 seconds left as the Pacers beat the previously unbeaten Boston Celtics 135-132 in overtime last Wednesday.

*Mavs point guard Luka Dončić had his best shooting game of the season in Sunday’s 23-point win over the Magic. In the end, Dončić made 11 of 22 shots. It was the first time this season that he converted at least half of his field goal attempts. He also shot a season-high by hitting five three-pointers in 13 attempts and finishing the game with 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Dončić has now played 161 games in his career in which he scored at least 30 points, grabbed at least five rebounds and handed out at least five assists. And that’s good for ninth place on the NBA’s all-time list in this category.

*The Pacers lost two players to injuries in Friday’s loss to the Pelicans. These include Isaiah Jackson (torn right Achilles tendon) and Aaron Nesmith (sprained left ankle).

*The 23-point win over Orlando marked the first time this season that the Mavs beat an opponent by at least 20 points. During their 50-win season in 2023-24, the Mavs recorded nine wins by 20 or more points.

*Indiana is coached by Rick Carlisle, who coached the Mavs from 2008 to 2021, including the 2011 title team. Carlisle coached the most regular season games in Mavs history (961) and has coached the most regular season wins in Mavs history ( 513). He also has the most playoff wins as a coach in Mavs history (64) and the most playoff wins in Mavs history (27).

X: @DwainPrice

INDIANA PACERS (2-4) vs. DALLAS MAVERICKS (4-2)

When: 8:45 p.m., Monday

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas

TV: KFAA-29, MavsTV stream

Radio: KEGL 97.1 FM The Eagle, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

X: @DwainPrice