Indiana Pacers fall to defending champion Denver Nuggets behind dominant Nikola Jokic performance

The Pacers fell in Denver on Sunday

The Indiana Pacers fell to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon. Despite a great game from Pacers guard Bruce Brown on his ring night and return to Denver, Indiana was overmatched by the defending NBA Champions.

Brown was looking forward to the day, and he finished with a team-high 18 points while adding 10 rebounds and six assists. He was terrific on both ends in his return to Denver after being celebrated before the game.

earned it 💍

Bruce Brown received his 2023 championship ring before today's game in Denver. pic.twitter.com/eYO1wGkTG7

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 14, 2024

Despite his great play, the Nuggets starters were the much better group. Denver may have the best opening five in the NBA, and they showed it on Sunday. Jamal Murray had 25 points and 11 assists. Michael Porter Jr finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Aaron Gordon's stat line contained 20 points and 10 rebounds while former MVP Nikola Jokic dropped 25 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. They were all playing at a high level, which made life difficult for the Pacers.

"I thought we fought hard this game and there were some frustrating parts of it. A lot of this came down to Jokic's greatness and Murray's greatness," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game, per notes provided by the Nuggets. "We hung in and didn't play our best game and still were hanging in. I have to watch it to get a better handle on the thing."

The Pacers once again had a balanced attack with seven players finishing in double figures and none of them reaching 20 points. But they struggled from deep, shooting just 8/29 from long range, and they missed seven free throws. Their efficiency wasn't where it needed to be to take down last year's title winners.

Obi Toppin and Isaiah Jackson had solid nights off the bench for the blue and gold. Andrew Nembhard shot 50% from the field and finished with 12 points and seven assists as the starting point guard for the Pacers.

The final score was 117-109, and Indiana dropped to 23-16 with the loss. They take on the Utah Jazz tonight, and they will try to bounce back as their road trip continues.

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