In a game that came down to grit, hustle, and a few clutch plays in the final seconds, the Indiana Pacers pulled off a thrilling 113-110 comeback win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. And if you’re looking for the hero of the night, look no further than Aaron Nesmith.
With just under 14 seconds left, Nesmith sliced through the lane and flipped in a reverse layup to give the Pacers a 111-110 lead. Then, with the game on the line and the Bulls looking to steal it back, Nesmith came up big again-this time on the defensive end-blocking Coby White’s close-range attempt with 2.9 seconds remaining. It was a sequence that perfectly captured his two-way impact and sealed Indiana’s third win over Chicago this season.
The Pacers didn’t just win this one-they earned it. Trailing by nine entering the fourth and down by as many as 14, Indiana flipped the script with an 18-4 run over the final seven minutes.
Andrew Nembhard sparked the surge with a step-back jumper that gave Indiana a 109-107 edge with 40 seconds to play. After Nikola Vucevic responded with a clutch three to put Chicago back in front, Nesmith’s reverse layup swung the momentum right back.
And when Johnny Furphy grabbed the rebound off Nesmith’s late-game block and calmly sank two free throws, the Pacers had officially completed the comeback.
Nesmith’s stat line-14 points, four rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block in 34 minutes-only tells part of the story. His timing, effort, and poise in crunch time were what truly stood out.
Pascal Siakam, meanwhile, was the offensive engine down the stretch. He poured in 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, hitting 4-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line in the final period alone. That’s the kind of veteran presence Indiana leaned on when things got tight.
Nembhard had himself a night as well-18 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and a critical steal that helped seal the win. Jarace Walker was efficient and aggressive, scoring 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
Bennedict Mathurin added 15 points, knocking down 3-of-5 from deep and going a perfect 4-of-4 at the stripe, while also grabbing eight boards. Jay Huff chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds, and Indiana’s young core combined for 31 of the team’s 113 points.
Chicago didn’t go quietly. Vucevic led all scorers with 25 points and continued to be a matchup problem all night.
Rookie Matas Buzelis added 20, showing flashes of his offensive versatility. Jalen Smith posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
And Josh Giddey reached a career milestone with his seventh assist of the night, pushing him over 2,000 career assists at just 23 years old-making him the 15th player in league history to do so at that age or younger.
The Pacers had to overcome a rough start offensively. They shot just 2-of-14 on two-point attempts in the first quarter-a frigid 14.2%-but managed to stay afloat by hitting 6-of-13 from beyond the arc.
To counter Chicago’s size, Indiana leaned on a rotation of big men. Huff logged over 23 minutes, Micah Potter added nearly 17, Isaiah Jackson saw a brief stint, and even Siakam spent nearly five minutes at the five.
It was a game of adjustments, and Indiana made the right ones when it mattered most.
With the win, the Pacers improved to 12-36 and climbed out of the NBA’s cellar. Chicago, now 23-24, continues to hover just below .500 in the Eastern Conference standings.
Next up, Indiana will look to build on this momentum when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. If they bring the same energy and resilience they showed in the fourth quarter against Chicago, they’ll be a tough out for anyone.