Pacers can't slow down Cavs, move on to close out homestand against Nuggets
A perfect storm was brewing for the Pacers to have a letdown and they delivered just that in loss to Cleveland.
After winning consecutive games and showing a vastly improved defensive disposition, the Pacers fail to bring that same energy from the tip against the Cavs, leading to an eventual 135-119 loss at the Fieldhouse.
Circumstances conspired to make things difficult for the Pacers, playing their third game in four nights in front of a Monday night “snow crowd” at the Fieldhouse. A “snow crowd” means no crowd which left the home floor without any juice from the faithful and the Pacers on the floor were unable to create their own energy early, falling behind by 15 points in the first frame.
While the Pacers played the Cavs even up the rest of the way and made a few promising runs in the second half, that early deficit was too much to overcome before giving way to garbage time.
As mentioned here and by Rick Carlisle prior to the game, the Pacers defense had been playing at a league leading rate over the past five games, but the energy and effort was just absent, particularly on the glass where the Cavs had a +12 advantage with 19 offensive rebounds nullifying several stops the Pacers just couldn’t close out.
The Cavs also played a big role in the circumstances conspiring against the Pacers. For starters, they will always want to beat the Pacers after the playoffs last spring. The Cavs were missing Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, but played a bigger starting lineup with Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson alongside Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland arrived at the Fieldhouse grumpy from losing three in a row and Mitchell was in no mood to push that losing streak to four. The Cavs’ star lead the way with 43 points, setting the winning tone for his squad.
The Pacers leaned on Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard to play over 30 minutes, but eased them out of the game as it became apparent the Pacers didn’t have it in the second half. Siakam had 26 points and 7 rebounds while Nembhard added 21 points and 6 assists.
Benn Mathurin struggled like he hasn’t this year, showing old flashes of driving into trouble in the lane without even getting to the line. Marhurin finished with 11 points and 3 turnovers on 9 shot attempts. Jarace Walker also struggled after being a late addition to the starting lineup to try to match the size of the Cavs. Walker finished with 7 points on 8 shot attempts.
Classic game to flush, regroup and refocus on what makes this team work best. Playing better should be a given, even if winning isn’t when the Pacers host the Nuggets on Wednesday night to finish up their current homestand.
Like the Cavs on Monday, the Nuggets will arrive in a salty mood after losing three of their last five games, while also dealing with some key injuries that have three key rotation players, including Aaron Gordon, out and guard Jamal Murray listed as questionable.
The Pacers usual six remain on the injury report, although Johnny Furphy is listed as questionable, so there’s a chance the young Aussie could be available by tip time.
Pacers vs. Nuggets
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers +7.5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff
Nuggets: Jamal Murray, Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, Cam Johnson, Nikola Jokic
Injuries
Pacers: Johnny Furphy (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (knee) - out, Quenton Jackson (hammy) - out, Obi Toppin (hammy) - out, Kam Jones (back) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out
Nuggets: Nikola Jokic (wrist) - probable, Jamal Murray (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Gordon (hamstring) - out, Christian Braun (ankle) - out, Julian Strawther (back) - out