Pacers end the skid in Memphis: Nesmith's corner three caps a 107-103 comeback
A short-handed Indiana side snapped a five-game losing streak by turning a pile of Memphis turnovers into fuel for a fourth-quarter rally at FedExForum.
The Pacers finally have a second act. Playing without Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring), T.J. McConnell and Kelly Oubre Jr., Indiana beat the Memphis Grizzlies 107-103 on Wednesday night at FedExForum — its first win since October 25 and the end of a five-game slide. For Memphis, now 6-2, it was a second straight loss and the clearest stress test yet of a hot start.
A game of runs
Indiana led 32-24 after a quarter and 54-52 at the half before Memphis opened the third with a 12-2 burst to go up 66-58, its largest lead of the night. Andrew Nembhard answered with 12 of his game-high 22 points in that third quarter, and the Grizzlies carried just an 82-80 edge into the fourth. When Cedric Coward's step-back three made it 91-86 with 6:17 left, Memphis looked in control.
The turning point
It wasn't. Quenton Jackson and Obi Toppin — back from a lumbar strain — powered an Indiana surge, Jackson's three at 3:47 put the Pacers up 97-93, and a Nembhard steal turned into a Larry Nance Jr. dunk. Pascal Siakam (20 points on 8-of-13) scored five straight down the stretch, and after Ty Jerome's floater cut it to 104-103 with 28.2 seconds left, Siakam found Aaron Nesmith in the corner. His three with 13.8 on the clock settled it, per 107.5 The Fan.
The deeper story was ball security: Indiana scored 24 points off turnovers, with Memphis coughing it up 20 times — eight in the first quarter alone, according to Sports Illustrated's Grizzlies site. Memphis also shot 7-of-27 in the fourth and 9-of-15 at the line, against Indiana's 15-of-17.
What it means
"Tonight we were just in better position initially on possessions," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of the defensive jump, via Yahoo Sports. Indiana is still 3-6, but this is the formula while Haliburton heals. Memphis got 23 apiece from Jerome and Coward, yet rookie Cameron Boozer took a lesson from his duel with Siakam: "For me, it pointed out some things I could get better at."