NBA: Pacers rally past Grizzlies 107-103 as Nembhard runs the show

The Indiana Pacers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 107-103 on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at the FedExForum, in front of 13,464 spectators. Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 22 points, 5 assists and 4 of 4 free throws in 38 minutes. The game was decided in a final quarter that Indiana won 27-21.

Indiana played without Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Johnny Furphy, Ben Sheppard and Kelly Oubre Jr., all ruled out through injury. Memphis were without Scotty Pippen Jr. (back); Isaiah Stewart, listed as doubtful with a knee problem, ended up playing 10 minutes. The Pacers move to 3-6, 11th in the Eastern Conference; the Grizzlies, at 6-2, are 6th in the Western Conference. The final margin, four points, owes something to the free-throw line: 15 of 17 for Indiana, 9 of 15 for Memphis.

Indiana build a nine-point lead before Memphis edge ahead

The visitors dictated the start. Indiana won the first quarter 32-24 and stretched their advantage to nine points, 34-25, with 11:10 left in the second quarter, their biggest lead of the night.

Memphis hit back over the course of the period, winning it 28-22, and Indiana led only 54-52 at the break. The third quarter flipped the balance of power. The Grizzlies went eight points up, 66-58, with 7:39 left, their biggest margin of the game. They won the period 30-26 and went into the final quarter ahead, 82-80.

Two 8-0 runs turn the game around

The turning point came across the last two periods. Trailing 76-82 with 31.6 seconds left in the third quarter, Indiana went on an 8-0 run: 80-82 at the buzzer, then 84-82 early in the fourth. Memphis moved back in front and, with 5:56 left, the Pacers were again down five, 86-91.

Indiana answered with a second 8-0 run, from 86-91 to 94-91, to retake the lead. Memphis, who scored 30 points in the third quarter, managed only 21 in the last. The score finished at 107-103, after 16 lead changes and 9 ties.

Indiana's supporting cast

Nembhard finished as the Pacers' top scorer with 22 points, on 8 of 15 shooting, including 2 of 7 from three. He also finished -4, the only Indiana starter in negative territory apart from Ivica Zubac. Cameroonian Pascal Siakam, born in Douala, scored 20 points on 8 of 13 shooting, with 2 steals and no turnovers in 30 minutes. Aaron Nesmith added 16 points and 3 steals.

The bench mattered beyond the points. Quenton Jackson scored 13 points with 3 of 5 from three, grabbed 7 rebounds and posted a +15 in 22 minutes. Obi Toppin contributed 11 points in 19 minutes. Braden Smith, a starter, dished out 5 assists to go with 10 points.

As a team, Indiana shot 40 of 88, or 45%, the same percentage as Memphis. The Pacers had more steals and blocks: 10 steals and 7 blocks, against 8 and 5 for the Grizzlies. They also scored 19 fast-break points to 14.

Memphis won the boards but gave the ball away 20 times

Cedric Coward and Ty Jerome scored 23 points each. Coward added 9 rebounds and 4 steals, but shot 8 of 19, including 4 of 12 from three. Jerome made 10 of 20 shots, 2 of 10 from deep, with 4 turnovers. Zach Edey pulled down 13 rebounds to go with 11 points and a +18, the best differential on his team.

Jerami Grant contributed 11 points off the bench, Cam Spencer 9 assists for 7 points. Cameron Boozer had a tough night: 10 points on 4 of 14 shooting and 4 turnovers in 33 minutes.

Memphis nonetheless dominated the boards, 48 rebounds to 43, with 13 offensive to 8. The Grizzlies also had 28 assists, five more than Indiana. They scored 54 points in the paint to 46. But they made only 12 of 44 three-pointers and turned the ball over 20 times, which cost them 24 points.

Three takeaways

Free throws mattered in a four-point game. Indiana converted 15 of 17 free throws, Memphis 9 of 15. In a game with 16 lead changes, Indiana made six more free throws than Memphis and produced two 8-0 runs.

Indiana's bench swung the differential. Jackson (+15), Larry Nance Jr. (+18) and Jay Huff (+10) all finished in positive territory in 22 minutes or fewer. Zubac, a starter, ended 0 of 5 from the field and -22 in 19 minutes, but the reserves held the line.

Memphis shot a lot from deep, with little success. The Grizzlies took 44 three-pointers and made 12, or 27%, against 12 of 37 for Indiana. Memphis scored 54 points in the paint to 46, while both teams made 12 three-pointers, on 44 attempts for the Grizzlies and 37 for the Pacers.

The SNA view

This was a narrow win, and Indiana secured it despite Memphis's edge on the boards and in the paint. But the Grizzlies turned the ball over 20 times, missed 6 of 15 free throws and made 12 of 44 from three. Without Haliburton and McConnell, the Pacers found a useful spread of scoring: Nembhard, Siakam, Nesmith, Jackson, Toppin and Smith all scored at least 10 points. At 3-6, this win away to a team at 6-2 says most about what a depleted squad can still do.

What's next

Memphis, 6-2 and 6th in the Western Conference, host Oklahoma City on Friday 6 November. Indiana, 3-6 and 11th in the Eastern Conference, host Denver on Saturday 7 November. Indiana lead the season series 1-0.