The Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets are playing in Mexico City as part of the NBA’s ongoing international expansion and its efforts to strengthen its connection with basketball fans across Latin America.
The matchup is the NBA Mexico City Game 2026, a regular-season contest scheduled for Saturday, November 7, at Arena CDMX. It will mark the league’s 35th game in Mexico since 1992, reinforcing the country’s importance.
The decision also reflects the NBA‘s growing interest in bringing its regular-season product to audiences outside the United States and Canada. Mexico has become one of the league’s most established international markets.
Is Pacers vs Nuggets an official NBA regular-season game?
Pacers vs. Nuggets is an official NBA regular-season game, not an exhibition or preseason matchup. The teams are scheduled to face each other at Arena CDMX in Mexico City on November 7, as part of the 2026-27 NBA regular season.
Braden Smith #3 of the Indiana Pacers (Source: Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The result will count in the standings just like any other game, with the Pacers serving as the designated home team. The matchup is part of the NBA’s ongoing international series.
Although the setting is different from a typical home game in Indianapolis or Denver, the competitive stakes remain the same: both teams are playing for a win that will affect their regular-season records.
Have the Pacers and Nuggets played in Mexico before?
The Pacers have never played a game in Mexico, while the Nuggets have already appeared in the country once. Denver’s previous visit came in 2006, when the team played a preseason game in Monterrey.
Its matchup against Indiana will mark its second game in Mexico, while it will be the Pacers’ first appearance there. Although neither franchise has played a game in Mexico City before, the teams do have experience facing each other.
They previously met in international preseason games in Taipei and Beijing in 2009, before playing a regular-season matchup in London in 2017. Their 2026 meeting will add another international chapter to that history.
For Indiana, the trip is also part of a broader international effort by the organization. The Pacers played a regular-season game in Paris against the San Antonio Spurs in January 2025 and have previously participated in international events in the Philippines, Taiwan and India.
Why is the NBA expanding its international games?
The NBA is expanding its international games to connect with fans around the world, strengthen its presence in established basketball markets and introduce the league to new audiences.
Trevon Brazile #7 of the Denver Nuggets (Source: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Taking regular-season matchups abroad gives international fans the opportunity to watch NBA teams and stars in person, while also creating opportunities for local events, partnerships and youth basketball programs.
Mexico is one of the league’s most established international markets. The Pacers-Nuggets matchup will be the NBA’s 35th game in the country since 1992, the most the league has played in any country outside the United States and Canada.
The NBA also has a significant international media presence, with its games and programming distributed in more than 200 countries and territories and over 50 languages. The league’s international strategy goes beyond staging games.
For the Mexico City event, the NBA and its partners are organizing NBA Cares initiatives focused on health, wellness and sustainability, as well as Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA activities aimed at developing young players and coaches.
These programs help build connections with local communities and encourage participation in basketball beyond the game itself. There is also a clear audience-development opportunity…
The NBA’s 2026 games in Berlin and London set records for television viewership, digital consumption and fan engagement, according to the league. Fans from 62 countries and territories purchased tickets to those games, demonstrating the international interest that regular-season events can generate.
Key takeaways
- The NBA Mexico City Game 2026 is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, at Arena CDMX.
- The Indiana Pacers will serve as the designated home team against the Denver Nuggets.
- Denver’s previous visit to Mexico was a 2006 preseason game in Monterrey.
