Game Rewind: Pacers 103, Nuggets 113

The Pacers picked up a much-needed win on Wednesday night in Cleveland, but the Denver Nuggets spoiled their hopes of two straight victories before the All-Star break on Thursday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The Nuggets (21-15) used a 12-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to pull away for a 113-103 victory over Indiana (16-19) and put the finishing touches on a 4-0 road trip.

Myles Turner led the Blue & Gold with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 12 rebounds, and three blocks in the loss, but too many turnovers in the second half doomed the Pacers' hopes of a comeback victory.

"Our turnovers or our missed shots really turned into some easy baskets for them," Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren said after the loss. "There was a number of them where they just kind of ran out on us and a loose ball didn't go our way and it turned into two points for them. Those are the plays we're trying to stay away from."

The Nuggets got off to a fast start on Thursday, hitting their first five shots to race out to a 13-2 lead. Will Barton hit two 3-pointers and a layup while Michael Porter Jr. added a three and a dunk during Denver's early blitz.

But the Pacers quickly answered with 17 straight points of their own — including two treys and a layup from Turner — to surge back in front. Indiana remained in front for the remainder of the opening quarter, though a 7-0 flourish by the Nuggets to close the frame trimmed the lead to 29-28.

The visitors surged back in front at the start of the second quarter, as their reserves outscored Indiana's second unit 14-7 to open the quarter. Denver maintained its advantage for the remainder of the first half, extending the lead to 57-45 with 2:11 remaining in the half following back-to-back 3-pointers by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.

The Pacers chipped a few points off that deficit, but still entered halftime trailing, 61-52.

The Nuggets led by 12 early in the third quarter before the Pacers mounted a charge. Justin Holiday knocked down two 3-pointers during a 14-2 Indiana run, the latter of which tied the game at 68.

Denver, however, responded with a 10-2 run of its own to rebuild an eight-point lead. That remained the margin at the end of the frame, as the Nuggets took an 82-74 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Pacers trimmed the deficit to 87-81 following Jeremy Lamb's layup with 8:55 to play. But again, the Nuggets had an answer. Porter knocked down his fourth and fifth 3-pointers of the night as Denver reeled off 12 unanswered points to break the game open.

Indiana went without a point over the next 4:22, missing five shots and committing four turnovers over that span, allowing the Nuggets to lock up the victory.

"We've got to put together a complete game," Turner said. "That's been our problem the past couple games...We've got to put together the right amount of stops and scores."

Doug McDermott scored 20 points for the Pacers in the loss, going 8-for-13 from the field and 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Holiday added 16 points, going 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.

All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis struggled from the field, going 5-for-15, but still managed to tally his fourth triple-double of the season with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, while also collecting four steals.

Fresh off his own triple-double, T.J. McConnell had 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists off the bench on Thursday. Malcolm Brogdon added 10 points and six assists.

Porter (24 points and 11 rebounds) and Jokic (20 points, 12 boards, and eight assists) both had double-doubles for Denver. Murray added 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting, while Barton collected 16 points and six rebounds.

Sabonis will head to Atlanta to participate in Sunday's All-Star Game, where rookie Cassius Stanley will also be on hand to take part in the Slam Dunk Contest. Indiana will return to action a week from Friday, when they open a Western Conference road trip in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

Turner recorded his seventh double-double of the season on Thursday, second on the team behind Sabonis (24). He also added three blocks to his league-leading total, extending his streak of games with at least one block to 51 games, the longest active streak in the NBA and three games shy of matching Jermaine O'Neal for the longest streak in franchise history.

McDermott scored 20 points for the sixth time this season and the third time in his last eight games.

After forcing a season-high 26 turnovers on Wednesday, the Pacers caused 19 giveaways by Denver on Thursday, but only converted them into 18 points. Denver, meanwhile, scored 26 points off of 15 Indiana turnovers.

Sabonis and Brogdon, the Pacers' two leading scorers, both struggled from the field, going a combined 9-for-29 overall and 0-for-8 from 3-point range.

One night after setting a new franchise record with 10 steals, McConnell had one takeaway against Denver in 29 minutes.

"It could have been better. We started off strong. There's some games that we would like to have back. I think that always happens in a season, but especially in this first half." -Turner on his evaluation of the first half of the season

"I think we're a lot better than our record shows. I feel like teams come out and respect us. They come out and play hard from the get go...Apart from three blowout losses against the top teams, I feel like every game we've been in there. We've been in there until the last quarter, just like tonight. We just can't seem to finish it. Once we put a full 48 minutes together, get Caris (LeVert) back, hopefully T.J. (Warren), I feel like we're going to be a dangerous team." -Sabonis

"There's lots that you can think about, lots to look at. I'll watch tonight's game, no question, and the recent games that we've had and the things that we've done well and the things we need to do better. I'm constantly looking at combinations to use out there and things that we can do on both ends of the floor. I'll dig into the stats a little bit deeper as well." -Bjorkgren on how he will use the All-Star break

"It's very important just to have a clear mind. I think it's more mentally (important) for the team. The last couple two, three weeks, this stretch has been tough. We've got a big one coming. The next half of the schedule is going to be really strong and we're going to have to be really prepared and mentally fresh." -Sabonis on the importance of recharging over the break

"He's got a lot of bounce, he's got a lot of athleticism, young guy. He's going to go out there and excite. I'm hoping he brings it back home. Glenn Robinson won it a couple years ago, that was a great moment for the Pacers and our team. Hopefully Cassius is able to follow in his footsteps and bring the title home." -Turner on what to expect from Stanley in the Slam Dunk Contest

Denver's three-headed monster of Porter, Jokic, and Murray all topped 20 points on Thursday. The trio combined for 67 points, 25 rebounds, and 12 assists to lead the Nuggets to victory.

After the All-Star break, the Pacers return to action on Friday, March 12, when they open a three-game Western Conference road trip in Los Angeles against LeBron James and the Lakers at 10:30 PM ET.

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