Game Rewind: Pacers 107, Grizzlies 103

Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 8:00 PM ET at FedEx Forum

Game Recap

The Pacers got six players back on Wednesday and got back in the win column, gutting out a 107-103 win in Memphis to snap a five-game skid.

The stars came up big for Indiana (3-6) down the stretch, as Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, and Aaron Nesmith all made key plays in the closing minutes to seal the win.

Nembhard scored a game-high 22 points to go along with five assists, Siakam added 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and Nesmith scored 16 and made the game-sealing three in the final seconds.

It was just the second loss this season for the Grizzlies (6-2) and Indiana's first win at FedEx Forum since 2021.

"We've been below the standard," Nembhard told DAZN's Jeremiah Johnson after the win. "We just wanted to focus on our process. Win or lose tonight, we wanted to be comfortable with the effort we put out there."

The Pacers took a 94-91 lead with 4:26 remaining in the fourth quarter following back-to-back fastbreak slams by Obi Toppin — the first an alley-oop from Quenton Jackson, the second a two-hand slam after a fullcourt pass from Jarace Walker.

A three from Jackson helped keep the Blue & Gold in front and then Nembhard found Larry Nance Jr. for a dunk that put Indiana up 99-95 with 2:55 to play.

Nembhard fouled Cedric Coward with 2:12 remaining and the Grizzlies' second-year wing made one of two free throws to briefly make it a one-possession game, but Siakam answered with a mid-range jumper on the other end.

Two free throws from Zach Edey trimmed Indiana's lead to 101-98 with 1:26 left, but once again Siakam had an answer, converting a jumper through contact and over Edey. He made the subsequent foul shot to complete the three-point play.

That looked like it might have been the dagger, but rookie forward Cam Boozer made a three with 45.1 seconds remaining to keep the Grizzlies in the game. Nesmith was then whistled for an illegal screen to give Memphis the ball. Ty Jerome's floater cut Indiana's lead to one with 28.2 seconds remaining.

On the other end, the Grizzlies trapped Siakam near midcourt. He found Nesmith open in the corner in front of the Pacers' bench, who buried a three through contact from Cam Spencer to seal the win.

After playing with just six available players on Monday, the Pacers had much more depth on Wednesday with 12 active players, including the return of starters Nembhard, Siakam, Nesmith, and Ivica Zubac.

The Blue & Gold got off to a strong start, going 6-for-11 from 3-point range in the first quarter, with Nembhard, Siakam, and Jackson all making a pair of threes. Rookie guard Braden Smith — starting for the second straight game — added six points and four assists in the opening frame as Indiana jumped out to a 32-24 lead.

Memphis opened the second quarter with a 13-5 run to tie the game at 37, with Ty Jerome scoring eight points over that stretch.

Nembhard knocked down a midrange jumper to put the Pacers briefly back in front, but the Grizzlies quickly countered, taking the lead with an 11-3 spurt featuring six points from Coward.

The hosts maintained the lead until the final minute of the first half, when Nesmith buried a three from the right corner to put Indiana up 54-52. That remained the score heading into halftime.

Threes from Coward and Jerome early in the third quarter propelled Memphis back in front. Indiana clawed back ahead with a 12-4 run, but threes from Cam Spencer and Jerami Grant gave the Grizzlies a six-point lead with a minute remaining in the frame. Nembhard scored two buckets in the final 31 seconds — part of a 12-point quarter for the Indiana guard — to trim the deficit to 82-80 entering the fourth quarter.

There two ties and three lead changes in the first 4:26 of the final frame. The Pacers moved back in front following Toppin's two straight dunks with under five minutes remaining.

Jackson finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, and two steals off the bench for Indiana, while fellow reserve Toppin tallied 11 points and five boards. Smith was the sixth and final Pacer in double figures with 10 points and five assists.

Jerome and Coward had 23 points apiece for Memphis, while Edey recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 boards.

The Pacers will head south of the border to Mexico City on Thursday, where they will play Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Saturday as part of the NBA's Global Games. Indiana will then wrap up a three-game trip on Monday in Dallas before returning to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a two-game homestand.

Inside the Numbers

Nembhard has scored 22 or more points in each of his last three games.

Siakam reached 20 points for the sixth time in eight games this season.

Jackson has scored in double figures in four straight contests.

Toppin returned after missing the last three games with a sore back and scored in double figures once more off the bench. He has reached double figures in all six games he has played in this season.

Walker had a team-high eight rebounds off the bench, with all eight of his boards coming in the fourth quarter.

Zubac returned after missing five straight games with a sprained ankle. The 7-foot center played 18:47 and tallied just one point while going 0-for-5 from the field, though he did tally four rebounds and two assists.

Stat of the Night

Wednesday's win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Pacers in Memphis. Their last win at FedEx Forum prior to Wednesday came on April 11, 2021.

Noteworthy

• Pacers wing Kelly Oubre Jr. missed his second straight game with a left calf contusion.
• Siakam now needs 20 points to reach 13,000 career points. His next game will be his 700th career game.
• Siakam and Nembhard each received technical fouls in the second quarter, Siakam for flopping on a play under the basket with Edey and Nembhard for shoving Jerome after the two became tangled up on the baseline.

Up Next

The Pacers will travel to Mexico City to take on the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Mexico City Game 2026 at Arena CDMX on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 5:00 PM ET.

Tickets

After a three-game road trip, Indiana will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host AJ Dybantsa and the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>