That’s just how the baguette crumbles.
In front of a sold-out crowd of 15,979 at the Accor Arena in Paris, France, the Indiana Pacers delivered a convincing 136-98 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the 2025 NBA Paris Games.
The Pacers showcased a balanced attack, a relentless pace and a defensive ferocity that left the Spurs stumbling to keep up.
Indiana set the pace early, with point guard Tyrese Haliburton directing the offense traffic. Haliburton finished with 28 points, six three-pointers and four assists, controlling the tempo and keeping the Spurs’ defense off-kilter.
Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard added 15 points and a game-high nine assists, complimenting Haliburton and his backcourt.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam played a key role in the paint and on the boards, recording a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds. His ability to attack San Antonio’s interior defense created multiple second-chance opportunities, helping the Pacers hold on to a 65-50 lead at halftime.
Conversely, the Spurs leaned heavily on the front court of Victor Wembanyama and Harrison Barnes.
Wembanyama finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds in his home arena. Barnes, San Antonio’s most consistent scorer during the Paris Games, added 25 points, including three three-pointers, keeping San Antonio within striking distance early.
Despite a courageous third-quarter effort by the Spurs, where they outscored the Pacers 36-33, Indiana maintained control.
Haliburton erupted for 18 points in the third period, including back-to-back threes that melted a San Antonio run.
Head coach Rick Carlisle praised Haliburton’s run following the contest.
“They are going to talk about Victor [Wenbanyama] after these two games, but they are going to remember that run here in Paris,” Carlisle said. “We were able to get it (the lead) back with Tyrese’s run at the end of the third. That was a really big part of the game.”
The fourth quarter, nevertheless, was all Circle City. The Pacers’ bench, led by veteran guard T.J. McConnell’s 12 points and five assists.
Indiana’s defense locked in, holding San Antonio to 12 points in the final quarter.
Pacers forwards Obi Toppin and Thomas Bryant combined for critical fast-break buckets.
Additionally, Pacers center Myles Turner finished the contest with 14 points, two points. two rebounds and three blocks, asserting himself on defense.
San Antonio’s turnovers became an issue as they achieved 24 miscues, leading to 36 Pacers points.
The Pacers improved to 25-20, riding momentum of the win in the City of Lights.
For the Spurs, this loss drops them to 20-23. While Wembanyama’s potential remains undeniable, San Antonio must address their offensive mishaps and turnover problems to stay in the Western Conference race.
“It has been really fun to be here, helping grow the game, the opportunity from the league has been amazing,” Haliburton said. “We want to leave the city on a good note. It was a really good showing by us tonight and we want to carry that momentum moving forward.”
The Pacers, now back stateside, take on the Detroit Pistons Jan. 29 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846. Follow him on TikTok @3Noral. For more sports, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
