Memphis didn’t need a hot start to take control — it needed separation, and it found it in the second and third quarters.
After a 34-34 opening period, the Grizzlies stacked a 31-26 second quarter and a 26-23 third to build a working margin, then slammed the door with a 34-23 fourth to beat the Indiana Pacers 125-106 Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
How the game swung
The first 12 minutes looked like a coin flip: both teams landed at 34, trading punches without either side establishing a defensive foothold. The difference came immediately after.
Memphis tightened the screws in the second quarter, winning it by five, then repeated the formula in the third. Those weren’t knockout blows on their own — they were pressure rounds that forced Indiana to chase the game into the fourth, where Memphis’ 34-point finish finally created true distance.
Ball movement was the separator
Memphis’ offense was organized and connected, finishing with 34 assists. Indiana had its moments generating looks as well (29 assists), but the Grizzlies’ edge in playmaking showed up in the steadiness of their scoring across all four quarters: 34, 31, 26, then 34 again.
That consistency mattered against a Pacers team already searching for traction. Indiana entered at 15-46 and riding a five-game losing streak, and the game followed a familiar script: competitive early, then gradually slipping away as Memphis kept producing clean possessions.
Quarter-by-quarter snapshot
First quarter: even footing
34-34. Fast pace, minimal separation.
Second quarter: Memphis starts to tilt the floor
31-26 Grizzlies. The visitors created the first real gap of the night.
Third quarter: more of the same
26-23 Grizzlies. Memphis extended the margin with another controlled quarter.
Fourth quarter: the finish
34-23 Grizzlies. Memphis closed with its best offensive quarter since the opening frame and turned a manageable lead into a comfortable win.
What it means going forward
For Memphis (23-36), this was a clean road win built on structure — steady quarter-to-quarter scoring and an assist-heavy attack that held up after the initial shootout. For Indiana (15-46), the loss extends a skid that’s now six straight, and the bigger issue remains the same: sustaining execution beyond the first quarter when the game settles into half-court possessions.