Pacers End Five-Game Skid as Nesmith Sinks Late Three Against Grizzlies

Aaron Nesmith sank a three-point jumper from the right corner with 28.2 seconds remaining to give the Indiana Pacers a 107-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. The basket snapped Indiana’s five-game losing streak and secured the win after Ty Jerome of Memphis had cut the deficit to 104-103 earlier in the closing minute.

Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 22 points. Pascal Siakam contributed 20 points, while Quenton Jackson added 13. The team had struggled in recent days, losing 108-104 to Atlanta on Monday. In that game, Indiana relied on a six-player rotation where every player scored in double figures due to injuries, including to star guard Tyrese Haliburton. Siakam, Nembhard, and Nesmith all returned to the starting lineup for the Memphis contest.

Memphis fell to 6-1 after starting the season with six consecutive wins. Ty Jerome and Cedric Coward each scored 23 points for the Grizzlies. Zach Edey finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds. The Grizzlies had held a 91-86 lead with 6:19 left in the fourth quarter. Indiana responded with eight straight points, a run capped by two breakaway dunks from Obi Toppin that shifted the momentum.

The Pacers’ defense forced Memphis into 12 turnovers in the first half. Those mistakes led to 16 points for Indiana and a 54-52 halftime lead for the visitors. The teams traded the lead through the first half of the fourth quarter before Indiana pulled away. Neither team led by double digits at any point in the game.

The Grizzlies played their second game in three days after an overtime loss to New Orleans on Monday. That defeat ended their undefeated streak. The team benefited from an early schedule that featured several lower-ranked opponents before facing the stronger Indiana squad.

The Pacers will host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. The Grizzlies will return home to face the Oklahoma City City Thunder on Friday night.