Obi Toppin goes down in Minnesota as cruel irony follows Pacers

MY DESK, Ind. – Minnesota was the site of a wild Pacers win in 2024-25. Do you remember it? No Tyrese Haliburton, no Pascal Siakam, no Myles Turner, no Aaron Nesmith. Minnesota played everybody. Anthony Edwards scored 38 points.

The Pacers won the game. It took overtime and a clutch three from Obi Toppin, but they pulled it off. Toppin was brilliant with 34 points and seven made threes, but all of Bennedict Mathurin (22 points), Jarace Walker (13), Thomas Bryant (10), Andrew Nembhard (12), Tony Bradley (12), Quenton Jackson (13), and T.J. McConnell (11) scored in double figures. It was a total team effort from a short-handed group.

That's what the Pacers hoped would happen this past Sunday. They went to Minnesota again and were missing Haliburton, Turner (not on the team), Nembhard, Mathurin, and McConnell. Multiple other depth pieces were out, too. That's a difficult game to win, but the Pacers did it earlier in this calendar year.

Off they went. Their balance carried them to a lead late in the first quarter. A Siakam flurry had them ahead in the second. At halftime, they were up by two. Things felt good for the winless group.

"We're flying around. We're talking. We're playing good defense. That's how we're going to win this game," Nesmith said during a halftime interview on the Fanduel Sports Indiana broadcast of the game. He was then asked about second half keys. "Get stops, outlet, run."

When the final buzzer sounded, Indiana outscored Minnesota 23-7 in transition. They played the way they wanted and could have won the game. They didn't, of course, falling 114-110 in the end. But they were much more connected and sharp, progress from a pathetic loss the day before in Memphis.

A close defeat with multiple pockets of good play is tough for this Pacers team to stomach. "We have prideful guys," assistant coach Jim Boylen said during a halftime interview on the aforementioned broadcast. Pride is what makes those tight losses hurt.

Usually, though, that pride transfers to fans. It did in the season opener, for example, a double-overtime defeat against the champion Thunder. But the loss in Minnesota didn't lift the dignity as much as it did in game one. That's because the guy who willed the Pacers to a win in the Target Center last season got injured.

With 3:11 left in the third quarter, Toppin exited with a limp. It was originally suggested to be a hamstring ailment, but the latest injury report says it's a right foot stress reaction.

Oof. The injury made the game feel much more painful. Nembhard got hurt on opening night, then Mathurin against the Grizzlies. Now Toppin? Against a team he has crushed in the last two head-to-head meetings?

It was too cruel for any prideful emotions, even from fans. If he was available in the fourth quarter, the Pacers may have won the game. Ditto for Nembhard against OKC.

The Pacers will never know. They're 0-3 and very banged up. But the game in Minneapolis is much more frustrating after Toppin's exit. He's going to miss at least a month. Indiana continues to lose talent to injury – the basketball gods have been cruel. They're down six of their top eight players from last season.

Athlete Of Distinction: Tony Bradley

Welcome to Athlete Of Distinction (AOD), Circle City Spin's way of highlighting a standout performer in a game, when applicable. Against Minnesota, this is very applicable for Tony Bradley. The reserve center was spectacular in what was maybe the best stretch of play from a Pacers big man this season so far.

Bradley's final stat line: 12 points, five rebounds. The Pacers won his minutes by four. He closed the game as the lone five man despite both Jay Huff and Isaiah Jackson being in the starting lineup. And not a soul thought it was the wrong choice.

The best thing about Bradley's offensive night in Minneapolis was his awareness. In all three of the below baskets, Bradley identified that two defenders were occupying one ball handler and trotted into open space to score:

Sounds easy, right? Well, he's the only center on the team who has done that with any frequency this season. It gave him three easy makes. He also found his way into simple shots by being a good pick-and-roll partner for Siakam.

The Timberwolves were sending two, or at least loading up with pressure, to Siakam after a screen. Bradley quickly identified the solution: roll hard to the basket. The most common basketball action. He executed it well.

That's 10 of his 12 points right there. He also had an assist, linking up with RayJ Dennis for a quick pitch out of double drag. Turner became quite good at those fast, shorter passes with Indiana last year. He could get the ball side to side. This year, that's been missing. Bradley showed it during his minutes.

And he is, of course, a powerful rebounder and capable defender when matched up with another plodding big man. Against Minnesota, he could stand opposite Rudy Gobert and be useful on both ends.

Rebounding highlights aren't particularly exciting, but this one is worth your time. Bradley hangs in with Julius Randle in isolation before getting the board over Gobert. That's a big-time possession.

BONUS – a steal and a block:

None of this is particularly extravagant. In this case, that's the point. The Pacers need their centers to nail the simple things to be effective, and Bradley did exactly that. Perhaps more opportunities could be coming his way, especially if the Pacers opt to start both Huff and Jackson again.

Are other roster moves in store for the Pacers?

I wondered, given the Pacers rotations over the weekend, if transactions were coming after their loss against Minnesota. They played a lineup with three centers against the Grizzlies, then paired two versus the Wolves. Sure enough: out went James Wiseman, in came Mac McClung – much-needed roster balance for the injured Pacers even if the talent may be a wash.

That doesn't mean moves are over, though. Keep your eyes on the Pacers being eligible for a hardship 10-day deal, similar to the one the Grizzlies just used to add center Charles Bassey.

That Memphis transaction got reported on Sunday, and a few fans instantly asked me if the Pacers could do something similar. I tweeted about the eligibility requirements for hardship deals after making sure I had the nuances correct.

Let's run through those one-by-one:

A) Four players out for three-plus consecutive games. Haliburton, McConnell, and Kam Jones are the only Pacers players who have missed all three games, so this requirement isn't quite met yet. Once Nembhard and Johnny Furphy miss Wednesday's game, the team will reach this threshold. But, as Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend.
B) A full 15-man roster. The Pacers have this one under control.
C) The four players from point A are expected to be out for at least 2 more weeks.

Point C is where things get cloudy. Obviously, Haliburton is expected to be out for the season. But Jones and McConnell have evaluation dates on November 9, which is less than two weeks away. Nembhard is progressing well and did some work at practice on Tuesday. Head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters that Peter and Furphy are progressing well, so they may not be out for two more weeks.

Not every injured player on the Pacers roster has an official timeline. Here's what is known:

1. Tyrese Haliburton (full season)
2. Obi Toppin (at least a month)
3. Bennedict Mathurin (week to week)
4. T.J. McConnell (November 9 update)
5. Kam Jones (November 9 update)
6. Andrew Nembhard (progressing, unknown)
7. Johnny Furphy (progressing, unknown)
8. Taelon Peter (progressing, already listed as doubtful in Dallas, unknown)

So it's possible (not reporting here, just stating a possibility) that the players from McConnell on down won't miss two more weeks at all – with Jones' timeline being the most hazy to me personally. That said, without knowing any specifics, it's also possible that someone misses more time than expected.

All of this to say: the Pacers hardship 10-day eligibility is... unclear. Mathurin won't miss three consecutive games due to injury until after the Pacers host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. Toppin won't get there until after Saturday's duel with the Golden State Warriors. At that point, it's easy to point to three players who could miss two-plus more weeks.

Is there a fourth? Are they technically eligible after today's game in Dallas if Jones, McConnell, plus Nembhard and/or Furphy are actually going to be out longer than expected? That's all murky. To insert opinion: If the Pacers are eligible for a 10-day hardship deal, I wouldn't expect it to be until after Saturday's game against the Warriors. If they are able to sign a player before that, then I would immediately be suspicious of A) the timeline for McConnell and/or Jones or B) interested in some further test results the team may get upon returning to Indianapolis.

Clear as mud? That's how I feel, too. When I am talking to others about the Pacers injury list, I often forget someone. They've had that many, and added one in every game. The Toppin injury, which is the most recent ailment, was cruel for an ironman, and even more painful that it happened in Minnesota.

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