Posted November 5, 2024 9:43am CST

Dallas just can’t seem to stop putting themselves into holes early in games so far this season. They crawled out of an early 13-point deficit, then again from a nine-point hole in both the second and third quarters.

The offense looked alright after a get-right game against Orlando, but after winning their first back-to-back earlier this season, it looked like Dallas just couldn’t get across the finish line. Indiana scored at will in a 134-127 win against Dallas, and here are the stats we noticed.

22: Minutes from the Dallas centers

With Dereck Lively being a late scratch due to a shoulder sprain during warmups, the Mavericks went into this game with Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell as their bigs. Between them, they played 20 minutes; 15 from Gafford and seven from Powell.

Without Lively’s range-y mobility and ability to guard all the way to the arc, the Pacer’s Myles Turner caught fire from deep. He scored 30 for the game and went 5-of-8 from three. Dallas countered by going small, counting on PJ Washington to stem the damage from Turner while maximizing their own three-point potency. To that extent, it worked, as Dallas climbed back into the game shooting 42% on 36 three-point shots, but the defense suffered as a result.

11-of-11: Pacers’ 4th quarter shots at the rim

Despite having a hot shooting night of their own, Dallas’ small ball lineup had brought Dallas back into the game. In the fourth, Indiana responded by punishing Dallas down low.

Despite shooting 42% on 20 threes through three quarters, the Pacers shifted their focus to attacking the rim and Dallas’ smaller lineup. Indiana made one of the three triples they took in the final frame, but a perfect 11-of-11 at the rim powered a relentless 38-point fourth. Dallas just couldn’t get enough stops to get over the hump.

20: Points from Naji Marshall

If there was a bright spot to take away from this game, it was Naji Marshall’s offense showing up to the party. Early on when Dallas was still getting its bearings, it was Marshall’s 11-point first quarter that prevented what became a 13-point Pacer lead from getting any bigger.

He hit both his three-pointers and was 8-of-9 on the night. Along with Spencer Dinwiddie’s 14 bench points, the duo proved that Dallas has scoring depth that can buoy them in shootouts like tonight.

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Dallas has unveiled about $250,000 of new fully battery-powered and automated maintenance equipment.

City officials from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and the Parks, Trails and Environment Committee previewed the equipment, which includes movers, trimmers and blowers, at Kiest Park on Monday.

“It’s inspiring to see Dallas taking meaningful steps, not only to enhance our city’s beautiful green spaces but also to prioritize sustainable practices,” said Kathy Stewart, District 10 council member and Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee chair.

The equipment will help the city reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize environmental impact through quieter, cleaner and more efficient operations as part of the Dallas Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan, Stewart said.

Dallas City Council members unanimously approved the plan in 2020. It was created to establish protocols to adapt to the challenges of climate change. The plan’s goals include making the city carbon neutral by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030.

City officials in 2022 estimated it would cost $6.5 million to fully convert more than 5,400 pieces of gas-powered, city-owned equipment to electric and battery-powered, The Dallas News reported previously.

“The big factoid of the day, according to Edmunds [the online resource for automotive information], using a two-stroke leaf blower for just 30 minutes produces the same amount of hydrocarbon emissions as driving a Ford Raptor from Texas to Alaska,” said Carlos Evans, director of the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area does not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Ozone levels in the Metroplex are the highest they’ve been in the past three years, with an average of 83 parts per billion from 2022 to 2024, according to data collected by the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

That’s up from the 81 parts per billion of ozone calculated for 2021 to 2023. Levels ranging from 71 to 85 parts per billion of ozone are considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Ground-level ozone contributes to increased asthma attacks and other respiratory health issues, especially for children, older adults, and those with breathing problems, according to the EPA.

Evans said switching to battery-powered equipment protects the health of residents and lawn care operators from respiratory and heart problems, cognitive impairment and even cancer and premature death.

The city Air Quality Program inspects and monitors the regulated industry to ensure compliance with and enforcement of the federal and state regulations governing air quality.

Dallas is also part of the initiative Air North Texas, the regional public awareness campaign and partnership that seeks to improve air quality in North Texas by the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Most of the equipment is from the German manufacturer Andreas Stihl AG & Co.

According to Renee Johnson, assistant director of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, the new electrical equipment will be used exclusively at the 48-acre Kiest Softball Complex.