Nuggets Defeat Pacers in Mexico City Showdown
MEXICO CITY – Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are accustomed to the altitude of their home and were not dizzy during the NBA Mexico City Game 2026.
Playing at an elevation higher than Denver, since Mexico City is 2.240 meters above sea level, they established a substantial early advantage and repelled the Indiana Pacers 114-102 on Saturday at Arena CDMX.
Jokic controlled the tempo from the opening tip. The Serbian superstar narrowly missed a triple-double, accumulating 19 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, as his squad held a 27-point lead in the first half and never relinquished control.
“I just try to play the game the right way, and hopefully we can win,” he stressed after the game. “For me the win is the most important.”
Whenever the Sombor native touched the ball, the arena erupted with loud MVP chants, making it evident who the local crowd had come to witness.
“It was a really good crowd. The energy was there the whole game. I didn’t know who they cheering for us or for them. They were mixed up feelings,” mentioned Jokic.
Tyrese Haliburton was sidelined due to injury and without him Indiana narrowed the margin to seven points (102-95) in the fourth period, but failed to close the gap further.
Pascal Siakam with 23 points was the leading scorer for the Pacers.
It was a more difficult evening for Ivica Zubac. Burdened by foul trouble and assigned to guard Jokic, the Croatian center spent considerable time on the bench. Nevertheless, he maximized his 19 minutes, battling his way to 10 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.
With the victory, the Nuggets improved to 5-3 in the 2026-27 Regular Season, while the Pacers fell to 3-7.
