In a colorful international celebration marking Día de los Muertos — or Day of the Dead — the Denver Nuggets seized control early and held off a late second-half rally to defeat the Indiana Pacers 114-102 on Nov. 7 at Arena Ciudad de México.
Playing in the NBA’s 35th game south of the border, the Nuggets used a dominant second quarter to build a 23-point halftime cushion before thwarting a spirited Indiana comeback.
Nikola Jokic paced Denver with a balanced 19 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and a block in 36 minutes, scoring 10 of his points in the opening frame to set the early tone. Cameron Johnson added 18 points off four field goals and two 3-pointers, while Jamal Murray tallied 16 points and eight assists. Denver’s bench produced key scoring waves, led by Spencer Jones’ 13 points in 21 minutes and 11 points from veteran guard DeMar DeRozan.
Jokic, who was born in Serbia but has won three NBA MVPs, a championship and Finals MVP, knows the importance of putting on a show on the international stage.
“I think basketball is a global sport,” Jokic said following the game. “It’s really good that NBA teams are traveling all over the world. As a player, it’s really nice to see the love from the fans and their support.”
For the Pacers, who served as the designated home team, Pascal Siakam spearheaded the offensive attack with a game-high 23 points, five assists and two rebounds in 32 minutes. Veteran forward Larry Nance Jr. provided a major spark off the bench, knocking down five 3-pointers to finish with 15 points in 13 minutes. Ivica Zubac anchored the interior with a double-double, pulling down 12 rebounds to go along with 10 points and five assists.
Following the contest, Siakam, a player from Cameroon, knows how big NBA games can be once they make it to venues in places like Paris, Manchester and now, Mexico City.
“The support was great,” Siakam said. “In the second half, the fans got involved; it was great to see. It was a good atmosphere and we had a good time out here. People welcomed us with open arms.”
Indiana was forced to compete without All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who sat out the contest due to a hamstring strain. In his absence, Andrew Nembhard logged 31 minutes, recording nine points and eight assists.
Denver asserted control in the first half behind efficient perimeter movement and crisp interior passing, building a 64-41 lead at halftime while holding Indiana to under 35 percent shooting through the first two quarters.
The Pacers responded with urgency after the break. Led by Siakam’s aggressive driving and back-to-back 3-pointers from Nance, Indiana trimmed the deficit to 12 points late in the fourth quarter. However, Denver’s poise proved decisive down the stretch, as Murray converted a key full-court drive and Aaron Gordon knocked down insurance free throws to lock up the victory.
Denver finished shooting 45.8% from the field and outrebounded Indiana 51-45, while the Pacers converted 15 of 48 attempts from 3-point range.
With the loss, Indiana fell to 2-7 on the season. The team returns stateside to continue its regular-season schedule.
Contact Staff Writer Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more Pacers coverage, visit indianapolisrecorder.com.
Noral Parham is the multimedia and senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Before joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate at the MLK Center in Indianapolis and as a senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver. He is also a business owner.
