Nuggets-Pacers pregame interrupted by a bizarre situation

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Nuggets-Pacers pregame interrupted by a bizarre situation

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Nov 7, 2026 8:35 PM ET

The start of Saturday’s game between the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers had to be delayed due to an equipment issue.

According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, the basket the Nuggets were warming up on at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, did not meet regulation standards.

Pregame intrigue in Mexico City: The basket that Denver was warming up on turned out to be uneven, causing about a 10-minute interruption as they leveled the rim. “Big Fella made shots though,” a Nuggets coach told me. Nikola Jokic had already gone through his routine.
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) November 7, 2026

The issue with the basket was eventually addressed, and the game started normally, with Jokic and the Nuggets later earning a blowout win, 114-102.

Denver leaned on a balanced attack to thwart Indiana, with four starters scoring at least 12 points. Jokic led Denver with 19 points, though he shot just 7/20 from the floor.

Jokic doesn’t usually shoot so poorly, but it’s unclear whether the uneven basket the Nuggets practiced on affected his form. For what it’s worth, the Nuggets shot 46% from the floor and only 29% (10/35) from behind the arc.

Cam Johnson and Jamal Murray scored 18 and 16 points, respectively, while Aaron Gordon finished with 12 points.

Pascal Siakam paced the losing side with 23 points on 10/18 shooting, while the Pacers shot 45% as a team.

Denver will next take on the Houston Rockets on Monday, while Indiana faces the Dallas Mavericks that same day.

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