Jan 18, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) in the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. © Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pacers Can't Hang as Victor Wembanyama Feels the Love in France

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 4:21 PM ET

The Indiana Pacers may have been the home team on paper as they took on the San Antonio Spurs in Paris for the first of two games, but the fans were all about Victor Wembanyama. The Pacers dropped only their second game of the New Year, losing 140-110.

Wembanyama seems to get a boost of inspiration when he plays in his home country. He dominated the Olympics, finishing with a silver medal, and made life incredibly hard for the Pacers on Saturday.

Wembanyama led the way with 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks. The Pacers struggled to score at the rim, with Thomas Bryant and Myles Tur ner combining for only 23 inefficient points.

Indiana was led by Bennedict Mathurin's 24 points, although the team as a whole shot only 30.2 percent from 3-point range. Wembanyama was offered MVP chants in the second half whenever he shot the ball, although there was a fair amount of Pacers' jerseys in the stands at Accor Arena. Both Pascal Siakam and Mathurin speak French, which seems to have endeared them both to fans.

The Pacers gave up a monster third quarter to the Spurs, which virtually ended the game a lot earlier than fans would have liked.

The Pacers will have a chance for revenge on Saturday as the two teams finish up their international series. That game will be on ESPN and will tip off much earlier, at noon Eastern time.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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