The Pacers left Mexico City with a familiar frustration: a big deficit, a furious push, and no payoff at the finish.
Indiana fell 114-102 to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night in the 16th regular season NBA game played in Mexico. The setting carried plenty of buzz, but the Pacers dug themselves too deep early and couldn’t fully erase it, even after making things uncomfortable late.
The first half was the difference. Indiana shot just 5-for-23 from 3-point range before the break and went into halftime down 23.
For a team that entered the night 24th in the league in 3-point percentage, that kind of start was a rough fit for the moment. The Pacers did shoot the ball better after halftime and finished at 31% from deep, but the early damage had already piled up.
Denver controlled the opening stretch in a few different ways. The Nuggets didn’t turn the ball over once in the first half and outscored Indiana by 14 points in the paint. That combination, paired with the Pacers’ cold shooting, made the mountain feel even steeper.
Still, Indiana showed some life after the break. The Pacers outscored Denver 37-26 in the third quarter and trimmed the margin to six at one point, turning what had looked like a runaway into something that briefly had some tension. They got within striking distance, but never quite landed the shots needed to make the comeback real.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 23 points.
Denver got strong production from its frontcourt as well. Ivica Zubac posted a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and five assists after struggling in his return from injury in the previous game.
Larry Nance Jr. had his best outing of the season, hitting 5-of-7 from three on the way to 15 points. The bigs had a tough time handling Jokic, though, as they do on most nights.
There was also a small positive on the injury front for Indiana. TJ McConnell made his first appearance of the season and played nine minutes, all in the first half. He scored six points in that time, giving the Pacers a welcome boost as they continue to get healthier.
The loss drops Indiana to 3-7. Next up is a trip to Dallas on Monday night.
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