Nuggets vs. Pacers in Mexico City: Jokić and Denver Lead Indiana 27-19 After First Quarter at Arena CDMX

The Denver Nuggets led the Indiana Pacers 27-19 after the first quarter of the NBA Mexico City Game 2026 at Arena CDMX on Saturday, Nov. 7, according to NBA.com. Tipoff was at 5 p.m. ET, and the game is on NBA TV and NBA League Pass. The game is still in progress, and this story will be updated with the final score.

Indiana is technically the home team, and Nikola Jokić was hearing MVP chants from the Mexico City crowd almost from the opening tip, NBA.com’s live blog reported.

Where to watch Nuggets vs. Pacers

• Time: 5 p.m. ET, Saturday, Nov. 7
• Venue: Arena CDMX, Mexico City
• TV/stream: NBA TV and NBA League Pass

First-quarter recap

Pascal Siakam opened the scoring with a 3-pointer in transition, then Jokić found a cutting Aaron Gordon for a dunk, NBA.com reported. Denver pulled ahead from there, and NBA.com’s box score showed a lead that reached 12 points in the opening period.

Jokić played the whole first quarter and had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists, making all four of his free throws. Gordon and Cameron Johnson had four points each. The Nuggets didn’t commit a turnover in the quarter and outscored Indiana 18-10 in the paint.

For the Pacers, Ivica Zubac had six points and six rebounds, but Indiana shot 8 of 27 from the field and turned it over four times. Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith both went 0 of 3.

Key storylines

Jokić’s triple-double chase

NBA.com noted that the three-time MVP recorded his 201st career triple-double last Wednesday and needs nine more to pass Russell Westbrook for the all-time lead. In that game, a 128-109 win over Toronto, he had 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in three quarters, according to the Field Level Media preview on NBA.com.

Nembhard vs. Nembhard

Andrew Nembhard had scored at least 22 points in three straight games coming in, and he was set to face his younger brother Ryan, a Nuggets guard, according to the preview. NBA.com listed Ryan Nembhard as inactive for Denver.

Who’s out

NBA.com listed Tyrese Haliburton, Kobe Brown, Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy as inactive for Indiana, and Cam Whitmore and Ryan Nembhard for Denver. DeMar DeRozan, who missed Denver’s last game with back spasms, came off the bench. NBA.com’s live blog showed a pregame moment between DeRozan and his son.

Siakam milestones

The preview said Siakam needed 20 points to reach 13,000 for his career and that Saturday was his 700th NBA game.

A Day of the Dead tradition

This is the third straight year an NBA game has been played in Mexico City during the week of Día de Muertos, on a themed court, according to the preview. NBA.com said it’s the 35th NBA game played in Mexico, counting 16 regular-season and 19 preseason games, which is more than any country outside the U.S. and Canada.

It’s Denver’s first regular-season game in Mexico. The Nuggets’ only previous visit was a 2006 preseason game against Golden State in Monterrey. It’s Indiana’s first game in Mexico of any kind. Before tipoff, Pacers forward Jarace Walker addressed the crowd, NBA.com reported.

How both teams came in

Denver arrived at 4-3, and Indiana at 3-6, per NBA.com’s schedule listings. The Pacers had snapped a five-game losing streak with a 107-103 win over Memphis on Wednesday, after which coach Rick Carlisle said the team had to do “some soul-searching,” according to the preview.

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