Pacers Report Card: How each player performed in Indiana's defeat of Brunson, Towns and Knicks

INDIANAPOLIS -- As expected, Pacers-Knicks did not disappoint. These two always have heated battles against one another and this was one full of a lot of ups and downs. Indiana holds on to win 106-104.

Eleven of the eligible twelve players played tonight. Here are their grades.

Aaron Nesmith: A+

This was by far the best Nesmith game we have seen of the season. He had 18 crucial points on incredibly efficient shooting (7-10 from the field and 2-3 from three). His rebounding efforts were a difference maker in the game as he pulled in 7, which was the second-most on the team. Unfortunately, he hurt his hand before the last possession of the game and was subbed out for Quenton Jackson. There was no injury update provided after the game, but hopefully it's not a long-term thing so he can build off this momentum.

Quenton Jackson: A-

This was an incredibly strong game from Q despite how the boxscore looks. He was impactful on the defensive side of things, a team-high +22 for the night and his energy ignited this team when they needed it the most. Corralling 5 rebounds, dishing out 4 assists and burying a massive three-point shot when the Knicks were closing in on the Pacers lead, he proved why he belongs as a staple in the rotation.

Quenton Jackson pushes Jose Alvarado after Pacers beat the Knicks.

Alvarado asks to meet him in the tunnel. pic.twitter.com/mLOsXWPOHy
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 14, 2026

However, he gets a minus next to his A is for the boneheaded decision he made to get into it with Jose Alvarado after the game when he pushed him with one hand. He declined to comment on the incident after the game, but there was no need for that response. He played a good game, had some back-and-forth trash talk with Jalen Brunson, but you can't let things escalate afterwards.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: B

No player has needed to stack good games together like Oubre and he has been a key factor for why the Pacers won their last two games. Pascal Siakam had nothing but praise for his aggressiveness in the postgame press conference and you can see how he has flipped the switch to play a more physical and disruptive game of basketball. His shooting numbers are still inefficient --especially from outside-- and his screen navigation is arguably some of the worst I have seen. But the on-ball defense is a real thing and when he gets out in transition, good things will happen.

T.J. McConnell: A

In 17 minutes of play, McConnell provided a huge spark off the bench per usual. He finished the game with 6 points, 7 assists, and was a +16. He had a few not-so-great shot selections --especially late in the game-- but he was the team's best point guard last night.

After the game, he and coach Carlilse discussed how they are ramping up his minutes but playing him in shorter bursts to help make sure that he isn't overextending himself. This is a difficult adjustment for McConnell, but he told me after the game that he only has one speed and he appreciates the coaching and trainig staffs for helping him with this.

Nov 13, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) celebrates a call in the second half against the New York Knicks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Larry Nance Jr.: B+

I got a text in the middle of the fourth quarter asking me why Carlisle was electing to play Nance over Zubac down the stretch. The question was understandable, but out of the Pacers centers currently on the roster, Nance is the best defender on the perimeter. As critical as myself and others have been of Myles Turner's defense on Towns, it is just an incredibly daunting task to ask of anyone. Nance had a huge steal at the beginning of the fourth quarter that led to an Oubre score. On the go-ahead-shot attempt, he stood his ground and defended Towns as well as you can. He battled on the glass with the much-bigger Andre Drummond and showcased what the front office believed he could provide. His solid effort helped Indiana win the game.

Andrew Nembhard: D+

Yikes. This might have been the worst game we have seen from Nembhard. As terrific as he had been the last two games, this was one that he struggled in. He went 4-14 from the field for 12 points, only made 1 of his 6 three-point attempts, and then had a terrible assist-to-turnover ratio. Nembhard committed 6 assists to his 6 turnovers and the team was outscored by 14 when he was on the floor. His turnovers were atypical and he felt uncomfortable against New York's stout defense. Thankfully, Philadelphia's defense doesn't provide the same resistance.

Pascal Siakam: C

What a weird game for Siakam. His old habits of missing free throws reared its ugly head again and in the biggest moments of the game. Up by 4, Siakam strided to the stripe and missed both free throws. The Knicks then scored to cut the lead to 2 and he threw the ball out of bounds on Indiana's next possession.

Although he had some really bad moments, his turnaround jumper with 1:49 left in the game ended up being the game-winning basket as the Pacers were able to hold on to an 8-point lead the rest of the way. After the game, he jokingly said that OG Anunoby's defense was not the reason he played so bad tonight, but it wasn't his strongest performance. For his standard, this was an average game.

Nov 13, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates with teammates in the second half against the New York Knicks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ivica Zubac: C+

The big man led the team in rebounding with 13 and 9 of them were offensive. He added 12 points and had a huge blocked shot on Towns that led to him getting frustrated and receiving a technical foul. However, he struggled to guard Towns on the perimeter and only played 26 minutes. We saw some good things from Big Zu in the game, but he was played off the floor because the Knicks would have been going at him in every pick-and-roll with Brunson and Towns. Indiana elected to sub him out of the game late versus switching him onto a different player. His overall play was above avergae, but he can be better.

Obi Toppin: B+

Toppin was an efficient 4-6 from the floor and scored 9 points off the bench in 16 minutes of play. He was a +8 in the plus-minus category and his pep helped energize some runs. You can see how much having McConnell back eases his role for him. Their styles of play fit perfectly together and you can see how it opens up the floor for everyone else.

Jalen Slawson: B

Slawson got the nod over Jarace Walker in the rotation today and it was deserved. He came in and defended well, was strong on the boards and didn't commit any bad fouls. In fact, the one foul he was called for should have been an offensive foul on Brunson who threw himself into Slawson to create the contact and wasn't touched when he missed the shot. Either way, this was a good-not-great showing from Slawson in a big win.

Jay Huff: B

For the 8 minutes that Huff played they were pretty impactful -- especially in the first quarter. He came in hot and made 2 three-point shots and had 8 points by the end of the peiod. Indiana only trailed by one at the end of the first and it largely to Huff's offensive outburst. He continues to have an extremely small role with this group, but it was good to see him produce when called upon.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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