Pacers Snap Five-Game Skid, Beat Grizzlies 107-103 in Memphis
Andrew Nembhard scored 22 points and Pascal Siakam added 20 as Indiana, playing without Tyrese Haliburton, won the fourth quarter and handed Memphis its second straight loss.
Key points
- The Indiana Pacers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 107-103 at FedExForum in Memphis on Wednesday night, ending a five-game losing streak with the best win of their young season.
- The game stayed tight all night.
- Nembhard played 37 minutes and 40 seconds, shot 8 of 15 from the field, hit 2 of 7 three-pointers, made all four of his free throws and handed out five assists.
The Indiana Pacers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 107-103 at FedExForum in Memphis on Wednesday night, ending a five-game losing streak with the best win of their young season. Andrew Nembhard scored 22 points and Pascal Siakam added 20 for Indiana, which arrived at 2-6 and left with a road win over the team that owned the league's hottest start.
The game stayed tight all night. Indiana led 32-24 after the first quarter and 54-52 at halftime. Memphis took the third quarter 30-26 and carried an 82-80 lead into the fourth. The Commercial Appeal counted 13 lead changes through three quarters, with neither team ahead by more than nine points. Indiana won the fourth quarter 27-21 and closed out the win at the line and on defense.
Nembhard and Siakam carry the offense
Nembhard played 37 minutes and 40 seconds, shot 8 of 15 from the field, hit 2 of 7 three-pointers, made all four of his free throws and handed out five assists. Siakam shot 8 of 13 and scored 20 points in 30 minutes. The production mattered because Indiana played again without Tyrese Haliburton. The Commercial Appeal reported that the Pacers lost their point guard to a hamstring injury and then lost five straight games. Center Ivica Zubac had also missed five games with an ankle sprain, and Indiana lost every one of them, according to pregame reporting by Sports Illustrated and Yardbarker.
A rare slip for Memphis
Memphis fell to 6-2. The Grizzlies opened the season 6-1 behind point guard Ty Jerome and rookie forward Cameron Boozer, and their only earlier loss was a 135-134 overtime defeat against New Orleans on November 2. Jerome led Memphis with 19 points through three quarters on Wednesday, but the Grizzlies could not hold their two-point lead in the fourth. Memphis won the season series against Indiana last year, and the Pacers had been 13-18 all time on the road in the matchup, yet Indiana controlled the final period when the game was decided.
Why it matters
A 2-6 team on a five-game skid does not often walk into the home of a 6-1 team and win. Indiana starts a three-game road trip with the win, and gets it with two starters hurt. Memphis still owns one of the best records in the league, but two straight home losses to New Orleans and Indiana show the early cushion is already shrinking.