"The Indiana Pacers are discovering what a bit of adversity feels like.

The Pacers dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season when they fell to the Memphis Grizzlies 98-92 at the FedEx Forum on Friday night.

Now the Pacers, one of the surprise teams so far this season, have to prove that they can dig themselves out of the shallow hole they're in.

"Every team goes through this, losing two in a row," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "We have to respond -- it's that simple. We got out-executed in the halfcourt. Our halfcourt defense wasn't good enough and our halfcourt offensive execution wasn't good enough, and it cost us the game."

The Pacers knew what they were getting into when they entered this portion of the schedule -- seven straight games against teams with at least a .500 record. They won the first game against Dallas, but they've dropped three of four since.

The Pacers have little time to dwell on their problems; they host the Denver Nuggets tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

"It's a little bit frustrating," Pacers point guard Darren Collison said. "This is a game we knew we had to come out and play, and we kind of let it slip from us. We have a game (tonight), so we can't overlap it and take too much from this game. We have to have a short-term memory and get ready.""