The Pacers finally have a home win, and tonight they get a considerably tougher opponent. New York visits Gainbridge Fieldhouse for an NBA Cup game, with Indiana looking to build on Wednesday’s 114–101 win over Washington.

The Pacers are 4–8. The Knicks are 6–5 after Cleveland ended their four-game winning streak on Wednesday. Both teams lost their first Cup game, so another loss tonight would leave either with little room to recover in group play.

What happened against Washington

After entering the fourth quarter tied at seventy-seven, Indiana scored fourteen unanswered points and went on to outscore Washington 37–24 in the period. It was a welcome change to see the Pacers take control of a close game and maintain that advantage through the finish.

Pascal Siakam finished with twenty-eight points and made all twelve of his free throws. Ivica Zubac contributed twenty points and twelve rebounds, while Kelly Oubre Jr. added fourteen points, six rebounds, and four steals. Indiana finished with a 60–44 advantage in the paint.

Andrew Nembhard’s seventeen points, ten assists, and one turnover deserve attention, too. He took only two shots in the first half while handing out seven assists, then became more assertive as a scorer later. That balance helped Indiana get contributions from several players without losing its offensive organization.

I particularly liked seeing Zubac and Oubre contribute without needing outside shots to fall. Oubre missed all five of his threes, but still found ways to score and disrupt Washington defensively. Those are useful contributions for a team that cannot expect Siakam and Nembhard to produce everything.

Another Test For Zubac

Zubac’s work against Washington was encouraging. Tonight, Karl-Anthony Towns will test how much of that activity he can carry into a tougher matchup.

Towns is averaging approximately twenty-one points and fourteen rebounds. His shooting also creates a decision for Indiana: Zubac needs to respect him away from the basket while remaining available to help against drives.

That makes the rebounding responsibility broader than the center position. When Zubac follows Towns outside, Indiana’s wings have to find bodies and collect the misses. The Pacers cannot have everyone watching the shot while New York gets an early step toward the rim.

On the other end, I’d like Indiana to keep involving Zubac. Getting him catches near the basket and using his screens can make Towns work defensively. Wednesday offered a useful example of how much easier the offense looks when the center is a scoring threat.

Nembhard has plenty to manage

Jalen Brunson enters tonight averaging twenty-six points, although he has shot just 42% from the field through eleven games. That percentage doesn’t make defending him any less demanding.

Indiana needs to make him work before he reaches the paint. Once he gets a defender on his hip, he can slow the possession down and force help to commit and/or draw the foul.

Aaron Nesmith’s availability will matter here. If he cannot play, Carlisle loses a perimeter defender who can share the difficult assignments, increasing the demands on Nembhard and Oubre. Nembhard already has a substantial responsibility getting Indiana into its offense.

Who’s available?

As of the NBA’s 5:30 p.m. ET injury report:

  • Questionable: Aaron Nesmith — right knee soreness.
  • Probable: T.J. McConnell — right hamstring strain.
  • Out: Tyrese Haliburton — left hamstring strain.
  • Out: Johnny Furphy — right ACL surgery.
  • Out: Ben Sheppard — left meniscus surgery.

New York has no players listed with an injury designation.

Carlisle said Wednesday that another update on Haliburton could come in about ten days. To be clear, that is an update window, rather than a return date.

Tonight’s details

When: Friday, November 13, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Competition: NBA Cup — East Group B
Watch: Prime Video
Listen: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

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