The Grizzlies had enough chances to leave FedExForum with a win on Wednesday. They gave too many of them away. Indiana’s ball-pressure helped force 20 Memphis turnovers in a 107-103 loss to the Pacers, leaving the Grizzlies with consecutive home defeats after matching the best start in franchise history.
Memphis is 6-2, with those two losses decided by a combined five points. There is plenty of season left, but the turnovers have become a problem that deserves attention. Indiana scored 24 points off the giveaways and snapped a five-game losing streak against a team that too often rushed its decisions or delivered the ball a beat late.
The trouble started early. Memphis had five turnovers in the first five minutes and trailed 32-24 after the opening quarter. Indiana made getting into the offense a chore, picking up Ty Jerome well away from the basket and sending help at ball screens. Possessions that should have given the Grizzlies room to work instead became opportunities for the Pacers to crowd the ball and close passing lanes.
“Some of our passes were late, and that allowed their pressure-defense to put two on the ball, but cut off the passing lanes,” coach Tuomas Iisalo said. Other turnovers came off the dribble, he added, and Memphis did not do enough to turn Indiana’s aggression into an advantage. When two defenders commit to the ball, someone is available. Finding that player quickly, then making the next pass, remains work for this group.
Jerome and Cedric Coward scored 23 points apiece to keep Memphis in it. Coward added nine rebounds and four steals, while Jerome shot 10-of-20 despite the attention from Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith. Jerome has seen versions of that coverage for several games now and expects it to continue. His answer included letting teammates attack the space available to them when defenders loaded up on him.
Jerome also resisted the idea that Indiana had taken Memphis entirely out of its offense. He felt he got quality shots and that the Grizzlies generally reached the spots they wanted. His first assessment of the turnovers was simpler: “Just be a little more patient with our actions from everybody.” That distinction matters. Memphis had opportunities to score against the pressure, but too many possessions ended before it could use them.
The missed shots compounded the giveaways. Memphis entered the night leading the NBA in scoring, 3-pointers made per game, and 3-point percentage, then finished with season lows in all three categories. The Grizzlies went 12-of-44 from deep and 9-of-15 at the free-throw line. Iisalo saw both open shots that did not fall and chances that required quicker ball movement to become better looks.
Cameron Boozer finished with 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting and committed five turnovers. He acknowledged that Indiana’s ability to pressure the ball and fight through screens disrupted the offense, and he pointed to playing too fast as part of his own trouble. For a rookie who had helped carry Memphis through its unbeaten start, the matchup with Pascal Siakam offered another kind of early-season lesson.
Zach Edey gave Memphis a steadier presence inside with 11 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. The Grizzlies outscored Indiana by 18 points during his minutes. After being dissatisfied with his previous performance, Edey said he wanted to find his rhythm through rebounding and defense rather than force his scoring. Memphis finished with a 48-43 rebounding edge and outscored Indiana 54-46 in the paint.
Iisalo also turned to Olivier-Maxence Prosper for energy in the second half. Prosper scored four points in seven minutes, including a fast-break dunk that brought the crowd into the game. His willingness to run and defend gave Memphis a lift, particularly with Isaiah Stewart exiting because of a knee injury. Iisalo had no further information on Stewart’s condition afterward.
Memphis worked its way back from the early deficit and led 82-80 entering the fourth quarter, but the offense stalled again. The Grizzlies managed just 21 points in the final period, while Indiana got all eight of Jarace Walker’s rebounds in that quarter. Cam Spencer finished with nine assists and six rebounds, helping Memphis organize stretches of offense alongside Jerome, but the Grizzlies could not sustain enough clean possessions to finish the job.
Even so, they had a chance. Memphis scored five straight points to cut Indiana’s lead to 104-103 with 28.2 seconds remaining. With no timeouts and only a small difference between the shot clock and game clock, Iisalo chose to trap, hoping to make the Pacers shoot early and preserve time for a response. Indiana moved the ball to Nesmith, who buried a corner 3-pointer with 14.6 seconds left. Nembhard led the Pacers with 22 points, Siakam added 20 and Nesmith finished with 16.
The Grizzlies have now followed six straight wins with two home losses, and Oklahoma City visits Friday to close the four-game homestand. Indiana showed how difficult their offense can become when opponents make Memphis work just to get started. Handling that pressure requires earlier decisions, sharper passes and teammates ready to use the openings it creates.
Jerome was measured afterward, much as he had been during the winning streak. “Whether we were six and two or two and six, like it’s about continuing to get better every day,” he said. “This is game eight. We got a long way to go, so we’ll be fine.” Memphis has time to work through it. Wednesday supplied another close loss to show why that work matters.
