Game Rewind: Pacers 112, Grizzlies 130

Saturday, Jan. 14 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

The Memphis Grizzlies entered Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday night as the hottest team in the NBA. They continued their scorching stretch of play on Saturday, rolling the Pacers, 130-112.

It was the ninth straight win for Memphis (29-13), the longest active win streak in the league. The shorthanded Pacers (23-21), playing on the second half of a back-to-back and without stars Tyrese Haliburton (elbow/knee) and Myles Turner (back), simply didn't have enough firepower to keep up with Ja Morant and the Grizzlies' explosive offensive attack.

Memphis outscored Indiana 38-13 in fastbreak points and 70-46 in points in the paint, throwing down 11 dunks -- including five in a row in one stretch in the third quarter -- en route to a comfortable victory.

"That may very well be the best team on the planet right now," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "They're very hard to play...I don't think we had a whole lot in the tank tonight. It's tough catching them on two days rest when we're coming off a game last night, but that's the world we're living in."

Richmond, Ind. native Desmond Bane had a team-high 25 points for Memphis, going 10-for-19 from the field and 5-for-11 from 3-point range. Morant, the Grizzlies' All-NBA point guard, added 23 points and 10 assists in just 25 minutes of action, as he sat out the entire fourth quarter with the game in hand.

Second-year guard Chris Duarte scored a team-high 25 points for Indiana, going 4-for-9 from 3-point range and 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

Duarte's performance was the most positive storyline for the Pacers on Saturday. The 13th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft had struggled to find a rhythm since returning from an ankle injury last month and had gone just 9-for-54 over his past 10 games entering Saturday.

"I knew it was close," Duarte said. "I kept saying to myself, 'It's coming, it's close, I'm going to have a breakout.'"

The Grizzlies were the only team to lead in the opening quarter. Memphis used an 11-3 run midway through the frame to open up a 23-13 lead.

The Blue & Gold managed to whittle the deficit down to three following Duarte's layup with 1:33 remaining in the quarter, but the Grizzlies closed the frame with a 7-2 spurt to take a 36-28 lead after one.

The Pacers opened the ensuing frame with a 12-2 run to take their first lead of the night. Duarte and Nembhard knocked down back-to-back threes, Isaiah Jackson scored a pair of buckets, then Duarte made two free throws to put Indiana in front.

But the Grizzlies promptly responded with a 16-3 run of their own to surge back ahead. Ziaire Williams scored five points while Morant and Bane each added four during the run as Indiana went over five minutes of game time without a field goal.

Another 15-2 Memphis run later in the frame pushed the visitors' lead to 68-49. Bennedict Mathurin knocked down a three just before halftime to get the Pacers over the 50-point mark, but the Blue & Gold still faced a 16-point deficit at the intermission.

The Pacers couldn't get back within single digits after halftime, as Morant and the Grizzlies continued to pour it on. Memphis' All-Star point guard scored or assisted on five of the visitors' first six field goals to start the second half, capped by his alley-oop to Santi Aldama that pushed the margin to 83-63 midway through the third quarter.

A short while later, Morant provided the highlight of the night, using a crossover to get by Oshae Brissett on the right wing before rising up over Jalen Smith and throwing down a vicious tomahawk slam with his right hand to make it 87-67 with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter.

That was part of five consecutive Grizzlies field goals that came via dunk. Morant tallied 10 points and four assists in the third quarter alone, as the visitors took a 97-79 lead into the fourth.

Bane scored eight quick points to open the final frame, drilling back-to-back threes and then converting a layup that pushed the margin to 26 with 10:48 remaining and effectively sealing the victory for the Grizzlies.

Mathurin finished with 16 points for Indiana. T.J. McConnell tallied 13 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists off the bench to record his second double-double of the season. Jackson added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, seven rebounds, and four blocks.

Aldama tallied 17 points off the bench for Memphis. Williams added 13, Brandon Clarke scored 11, and Steven Adams narrowly missed out on a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.

After dropping both halves of a weekend homestand, the Pacers will hit the road for their next four games. They will open the trip on Monday afternoon in Milwaukee before traveling on to Oklahoma City, Denver, and Phoenix over the course of next week.

Duarte's 25 points were his second-most in a game this season, trailing only his 30-point performance on Oct. 31 in Brooklyn. It was only Duarte's fourth time reaching double figures in 23 games this season.

McConnell's 11 assists were a new season high.

Pacers guard Buddy Hield went 0-for-3 from 3-point range, the first time he failed to make a 3-pointer in a game this season. Hield had made at least one three in all 43 games this season and 55 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

The Pacers actually beat Memphis -- the NBA's top rebounding team entering Saturday -- on the boards. Indiana outrebounded the Grizzlies 49-45 overall and 16-7 on the offensive glass, outscoring the visitors 25-4 in second-chance points.

After shooting just 23.3 percent from 3-point range in Friday's last-second loss to Atlanta, the Pacers once again struggled from distance on Saturday, going 11-for-47 (23.4 percent) from beyond the arc.

Second-year forward Terry Taylor played 13 minutes in the second half and matched his season high with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.

"They're one of the best teams in the league, especially in transition. We have to be more locked in and have a next-play mentality and get back, especially when you're playing a team like that." -McConnell on defending against the Grizzlies' fast-paced attack

"Chris Duarte's night tonight was significant. When you sit out for a month and a half with an ankle (injury), coming back into it is not simple...He's stayed in the fight and tonight all that stuff bore some fruit." -Carlisle on Duarte's performance

"Stuff like that happens at one point in your career. (When) I seen the ball go in, for me, it's great. I feel like I (found) some rhythm out there thanks to T.J. and my teammates." -Duarte on staying positive during his shooting slump

"I feel like people forget that he was out at least a month. It's not as simple as just getting thrown back into the lineup and going to produce like you did. It takes time. He was patient and in the gym and staying positive. You're not going to see a guy that works harder than (Duarte). He deserved a game like this tonight." -McConnell on Duarte

"We all know what Chris can do. Obviously Chris has been dealt a tough hand this season with the injuries and things like that. But just to see him still have that confidence and just go out there and play basketball, it was fun." -Smith on Duarte

"When you play in this league a long time, you see some special things from special players. That was one of them. Really no other way to put it. Just a special, special play by a special player." -McConnell on Morant's highlight-reel dunk

The Grizzlies outscored Indiana 38-13 in fastbreak points on Saturday. Those 38 points were the most the Pacers have allowed in transition all season. Prior to Saturday, they had only surrendered more than 25 fastbreak points once (31 for the Kings in Sacramento on Nov. 30).

The Pacers travel to Milwaukee for their first meeting this season with their Central Division rivals. The two teams will face off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 16 at 2:30 PM ET.

After a four-game road trip, the Pacers will be back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>