The Indiana Pacers have a tough weekend ahead of themselves.  First they will take on Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and the rest of the deep Dallas Mavericks team.  Dallas is coming off a solid win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.  Pacers need a strong effort tonight against the Mavs, as they continue to fight for the 8th spot with the Bobcats (although it seems like they are both fighting for the 9th spot right now!).

The Pacers will stay in state tomorrow night against the Houston Rockets, but let's all take one day at a time and see what happens tonight.  There hasn't been much consistency recently and either the goon squad plays well to start if off or the starters do.  So, look for Vogel to stress consistent play across the board from his guys.

After the jump, check out the links of the day...

• PACERS: Countdown to Tipoff: Pacers at Dallas
  The Pacers continue their road trip in Dallas where they'll face the hottest team in the league. The Mavericks have won seven in a row and 17 of 18. The Pacers beat Dallas 102-89 on Jan. 12 in Conseco Fieldhouse but the Mavericks were without leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki, who was out with a sprained right knee.
• Indiana Pacers vs. Dallas Mavericks - Preview - March 04, 2011 - ESPN
  NBA Basketball Preview: Final statistics from the Indiana Pacers vs. Dallas Mavericks game played on March 04, 2011
• Tyson Chandler tweaks ankle against Sixers, out two games | ProBasketballTalk
  UPDATED: March 2, 2:11 pm: The good news is that X-rays on Chandler's ankle were negative. But the bad news is he will be out at least two more games, according to the Dallas Morning News. Those games are against the Pacers and the surging Grizzlies.
• Pacers' 2nd unit players proud they 'get after it' in not-so-pretty way | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
  DALLAS -- One player wasn't sure he would be effective following knee surgery last summer. Another dealt with vertigo last season.
• Conrad Bruner speaks with David Morway in Pacers Crate
• Mavericks acquire defensive version of Peja Stojakovic in Corey Brewer | Dallas Mavericks News - Sports News for Dallas, Texas - SportsDayDFW
  SportsDayDFW.com is the official website for the Sports section of The Dallas Morning News newspaper. This page contains the latest Dallas Mavericks news, notes, commentary, analysis, blogs, e-mail newsletters, photos and videos.