INDIANAPOLIS -- The stage was set for one of the most anticipated home openers in Pacers history on Friday night. Tyrese Haliburton made his return to his home court in front of a packed out, sea-of-gold arena. Unfortunately for Haliburton and the Pacers, the Dallas Mavericks came in and spoiled the party.

The Mavs dominated the Pacers from start to finish, ultimately winning by a final score of 121-105. Here are some of the main takeaways from Indy's home opener.

Pacers unable to recover from horrible start

Before fans could even get settled, it was 33-19 in favor of Dallas. By the end of the first quarter, it was 44-27, as the Mavericks shot 70% in the opening frame. The Indianapolis crowd was ready to explode but had very little to cheer about.

Early leads in the NBA don't often mean a whole lot. In this case, the second quarter wasn't any better for Indiana. The Pacers had just four second-quarter points in the first 7 1/2 minutes.…