The Denver Nuggets beat the Indiana Pacers 114-102 on Saturday in the NBA Mexico City Game at Arena CDMX, riding a dominant second quarter that buried Indiana early. Nikola Jokic finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to lead Denver to its second straight win and move to 5-3 on the season.
The Nuggets blew the game open in the second quarter, outscoring the Pacers 37-22 to take a 64-41 lead into halftime. Denver built the margin to as many as 27 points and never trailed by more than five all night. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 23 points, but the Pacers fell to 3-7 with their seventh loss in 10 games.
Takeaways From Denver’s Win Over Indiana
Denver’s second quarter buried the Pacers
After a tight opening period that Denver won 27-19, the Nuggets turned the game into a laugher in the second quarter. Cameron Johnson and Marvin Bagley III each caught fire off the bench, and a 57-34 run by the 4:40 mark of the second quarter put Indiana in a hole it never climbed out of. Denver led by as many as 27 points in the game, according to the official box score.
Jokic controlled the game without needing a big scoring night
Jokic did not need to force shots to dominate. He finished 7-of-20 from the field but filled out the stat sheet with 13 rebounds and eight assists, directing Denver’s offense while Johnson, Jamal Murray and Bagley did the scoring. It marked his latest near triple-double performance in a season that has already included a milestone 200th career triple-double, according to Total Apex Sports.
Indiana’s turnovers and paint defense couldn’t keep pace
The Pacers committed 10 turnovers that Denver converted into points and allowed 54 points in the paint. Indiana shot 45% from the field and made 15 three-pointers, but Denver’s 46% shooting and 29 assists to 5 turnovers proved decisive. Indiana also committed 21 fouls to Denver’s 13, helping the Nuggets shoot 16-of-19 from the free-throw line while the Pacers made 5-of-7.
Player Of The Game: Nikola Jokic
Jokic’s final line read 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in 36 minutes, with a plus-4 rating. He added a block and a steal while shooting 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. It was his all-around control of the game, rather than a scoring outburst, that set the tone for Denver’s win.
Nuggets Vs Pacers By The Numbers
Denver outscored Indiana 37-22 in the second quarter, the decisive stretch. The Nuggets shot 46% from the field to Indiana’s 45%, but the gap widened at the free-throw line (Denver 16-of-19, Indiana 5-of-7) and in the paint (Denver 54, Indiana 44). Denver dominated the turnover battle 5 total to Indiana’s 10. Indiana outscored Denver 21-8 in fast-break points, but the second-quarter hole proved insurmountable.
What It Means
Denver improved to 5-3 and sits 1.5 games back in the Northwest Division, which is led by Oklahoma City at 7-2. The Nuggets have won two straight. Indiana dropped to 3-7 and remains fourth in the Central Division, 4 games behind division-leading Detroit.
The loss was Indiana’s seventh in its last 10 games. Denver now leads the season series with Indiana 1-0.
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