Pacers Injury Crisis: Six-Man Roster Falls Short in 108-104 Loss
Jay Huff scored 22 points as Indiana’s depleted squad dropped its fifth straight game against Atlanta on Monday night.
By Anthony Lawson ·
The Indiana Pacers faced a stark challenge on Monday night, fielding only six available players against the Atlanta Hawks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The roster shortage led to a 108-104 defeat, extending the team's losing streak to five consecutive games.
Jay Huff led the Pacers with 22 points in a squad that struggled to maintain energy throughout the contest. Quenton Jackson contributed 20 points, while Braden Smith added 19 points and 10 assists. Jarace Walker finished with 15 points and two-way player Kobe Brown recorded 16 points from the bench. Jalen Slawson scored 12 points in his starter role.
The Pacers remained competitive until the final minute of regulation. Jackson stole the ball from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and hit a layup to cut the deficit to 106-104 with 1:36 left on the clock. Jackson then missed a three-point attempt with 43.1 seconds remaining that would have taken the lead for Indiana. Onyeka Okongwu secured the win for Atlanta by converting a jumper with 10.2 seconds left.
Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 34 points. Atlanta missed Jalen Johnson due to a sprained left ankle but maintained a full complement of other healthy players compared to their opponents.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle described the situation as injury management before the game. Kelly Oubre Jr. was a late scratch with a bruised knee, joining Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Johnny Furphy, T.J. McConnell, Larry Nance Jr., Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Ben Sheppard, Obi Toppin, and Ivica Zubac on the sidelines. The absent players hold a combined salary of approximately $193 million, while the players on the floor earn about $15 million.
Indiana trailed for most of the game but never fell behind by more than 15 points. Jackson played 34 minutes, the shortest total for the team, while Walker led all Pacers in minutes with 44. The team will travel to Memphis on Wednesday, while the Hawks head to Washington.
The loss marks the fifth straight defeat for Indiana, a team that has relied on two-way contracts and reserve players to fill out its starting lineup for the first time in recent memory.
