5 Takeaways From Pacers’ 114-102 Loss to Nuggets in Mexico City

The Denver Nuggets beat the Indiana Pacers 114-102 on Saturday in front of 20,191 at Arena CDMX. It was the 16th regular-season NBA game played in Mexico and the first for Indiana, which fell to 3-7. Denver is 5-3.

Indiana played without Tyrese Haliburton (left hamstring strain) for the sixth straight game.

The Pacers made 33.3% of their shots and 21.7% of their 3-point attempts in the first two quarters. Denver shot 49% and outscored them 30-16 in the paint before the break.

The Nuggets won the second quarter 37-22. Nikola Jokić played 5:45 of it and did not score. Marvin Bagley III had 8 points in the period, Spencer Jones made both of his 3-point tries, and DeMar DeRozan and Tyus Jones each had 2 assists. A 3-pointer from Jamal Murray with 4:40 left made it 57-34.

Kelly Oubre Jr., back after missing Wednesday's game with a left calf contusion, went 1-of-5 in the first quarter. He was called for a flopping technical at 6:17 of the second.

Pascal Siakam said the Pacers got some good shots before halftime that did not fall.

"I think obviously tough environment," Siakam said. "If you're not used to this, the altitude and everything, it's just kind of hard to get going. So the first half was pretty tough for us."

"Obviously, I thought we had some good shots," Siakam continued. "We didn't make them, which doesn't help. But I thought our force and energy was way better in the second half, and that's the way we got to start the game."

Siakam went 3-of-9 in the first half and 7-of-9 in the second. He made all three of his shots in 7:15 of the third quarter: a 15-foot pull-up 24 seconds into the half, a finger roll in transition, and a 6-foot turnaround bank shot. In the fourth, he scored 9 points on 4-of-6.

Two of his 5 assists went to Larry Nance Jr. 3-pointers in the second quarter, and two more set up Jarace Walker in the fourth. Siakam missed an and-one free throw at 9:36 of the third and finished 1-of-2 at the line.

The four-time All-Star scored 20 on 8-of-13 shooting in Wednesday's 107-103 win at Memphis.

Getting the crowd into it was the players' job, and that happened after halftime.

"I thought the support was great," Siakam explained. "We felt the energy a little bit towards the end. I think obviously it's kind of on us to create that energy with good plays and stuff, which the first half wasn't really that. So I thought in the second half, the fans got involved. It was great to see."

"It's a good atmosphere," Siakam continued. "We had a good time out here. People welcomed us with open arms, from the hotel to everyone here. It's been great. So yeah, we love that experience here."

Nance checked in with 6.7 seconds left in the first quarter. He made 3s on consecutive Indiana possessions early in the second, then went 3-of-4 from deep in the third. He missed his last attempt, a 25-footer with 5:12 left in the game, and finished 5-of-7 for 15 points.

The rest of the roster went 10-of-41 from 3. Indiana's bench outscored Denver's 52-43.

Indiana signed Nance to a one-year contract on July 9. Illness kept him out of the 108-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, when the Pacers dressed six players.

Coming back to Mexico City twice a year would suit Nance.

"I think it's a privilege to be down here," Nance said. "He asked if we want to come back twice a year, and shoot, I like these rims, so yeah, I'll come back again. But no, this has been just like P said. I just want to echo. This has been an amazing experience."

"Everybody down here has been so welcoming, and the culture has been so vibrant and colorful, and the fans have been great," Nance continued. "So we appreciate it being down here, and we're just looking forward to getting back, looking forward to getting back in the win column, actually."

The Pacers went 9-of-11 on fast-break shots. Denver made 27 of its 48 attempts in the paint.

After halftime, Indiana shot 14-of-16 in the paint, including 7-of-7 in the fourth, and outscored Denver 28-24 there.

Ivica Zubac grabbed 12 rebounds, 4 of them offensive, in 19 minutes. His fourth foul came at 7:04 of the third, and he played 3:01 in the fourth quarter. Zubac had returned from a five-game absence with a left ankle sprain on Wednesday.

Denver outrebounded Indiana 51-45 and had 13 second-chance points to Indiana's 9. Jokić had 6 offensive rebounds. The Pacers committed 10 turnovers, and the Nuggets committed 5.

Denver collapsed on Indiana's drives, and the help left shooters open.

"It all starts with attacking the paint," Nance explained. "[Probing] down in the paint, they got to double down, and all I did was make open shots. So it's those guys creating the looks for me, and they made it easy."

The game ran 2 hours, 17 minutes. Mexico has hosted 19 NBA preseason games along with its 16 regular-season games, and Denver was playing in the country for the second time.

Arena CDMX is also home to the G League's Mexico City Capitanes. The game fell during Día de Muertos, and the court carried the theme.

Nance said both teams did a good job getting the crowd involved.

"The first thing I said when we got out there is like, this is a massive arena," Nance said. "This is a big stadium, and the fans filled it. They were loud and up all game. I thought both sides, Denver and Indiana, did a good job of having the mascots and having the halftime entertainment and doing a good job of getting everybody involved and entertained."

"I think this is a special place," Nance continued. "It's such a massive city and a culture that does love basketball. Basketball is universal. It's appreciated throughout, and we felt that tonight."

Siakam, who was born in Cameroon, spent part of his rookie season on assignment with Raptors 905. He was named MVP of the 2017 NBA D-League Finals.

Passion for the game is part of what got Siakam from Cameroon to the NBA.

"I think my advice would be to believe in yourself," Siakam said. "I know what it feels like to come from a place where basketball is not really the first thing. So I understand the difficulties that come with that."

"But I think for me, what helped me out is just believing in myself, putting the work in, and then also just having passion for the game," Siakam continued. "If you love it, just give everything you have to the game, and it's gonna [give] it back to you. So that's the way I see it. So just keep going, believe in yourself, and go for your dreams."

Indiana's next game is Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center, with tip-off set for 8 p.m. ET.