Pacers' Obi Toppin: Out three months after surgery
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Toppin will undergo surgery to place a screw in his right foot Monday, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports. Toppin will be out at least three months.
Toppin will likely miss a considerable amount of time following this surgery. Head coach Rick Carlisle told the media not to ask about Toppin's status until Feb. 1. The team will likely turn to Jay Huff, Jarace Walker and Tony Bradley to help shoulder the load in the frontcourt.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Out at least one month
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Toppin (foot) will miss at least a month, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Toppin went down with what was initially reported as a hamstring injury during Sunday's game against the Timberwolves. However, he's now listed as out due to a right foot stress reaction. The injury is severe enough to keep him sidelined for a considerable period. The team will likely turn to Jarace Walker and Tony Bradley to help shoulder the load in Toppin's absence.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Suffers hamstring injury
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Toppin suffered a right hamstring injury during Sunday's 114-110 loss to the Timberwolves, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Toppin left the game in the third quarter and did not return due to what was originally described as a right leg injury. Head coach Rick Carlisle clarified postgame that Toppin's injury was to his hamstring, and the veteran forward will undergo imaging to determine the severity. Jarace Walker and Tony Bradley could see expanded roles if Toppin is forced to miss time.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Won't return vs. Minnesota
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Toppin won't return to Sunday's game against Minnesota due to right leg soreness, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.
Toppin exited the game with 3:11 remaining in the third quarter and was ruled out shortly thereafter. He'll finish with nine points (2-6 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and one steal across 17 minutes. Jarace Walker and Tony Bradley are candidates for an uptick in playing time the rest of the way.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Near double-double in loss
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Toppin posted 13 points (5-12 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 1-1 FT), nine rebounds and two assists across 26 minutes during Saturday's 128-103 loss to the Grizzlies.
Toppin finished tied for second on the Pacers in scoring with 13 points while leading them in rebounding. Bennedict Mathurin (foot) didn't play the fourth quarter in Saturday's loss, and if he is unable to go when Indiana visits Minnesota less than 24 hours later, Toppin could be next in line to start.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Reverting back to bench
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Toppin is not in the starting lineup for Monday's preseason game against the Spurs, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.
Pascal Siakam is returning to the lineup Monday, forcing Toppin to play from the bench. Toppin will be Siakam's top backup at power forward to begin the 2025-26 season, and he could see a boost in minutes as a small-ball center following the departure of Myles Turner.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Invisible in title loss
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Toppin tallied zero points (0-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist across 21 minutes during Sunday's 103-91 loss to the Thunder in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Toppin entered Game 7 riding a streak of three straight double-digit scoring efforts but went scoreless in Sunday's finale. Despite the quiet finish, the forward delivered a streaky but impactful postseason off the bench, averaging 9.4 points on 48.5 percent shooting and 32.1 percent from three across 19.2 minutes per game, highlighted by a pair of 20-point performances. In the regular season, Toppin appeared in 79 games (four starts) and averaged 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc in 19.6 minutes per contest.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Scores 20 points off bench
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Toppin totaled 20 points (6-12 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 4-6 FT), six rebounds and two steals over 23 minutes during Thursday's 108-91 victory over the Thunder in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Toppin continues to be a force to be reckoned with off the bench for the Pacers in the NBA Finals. The Dayton product has now scored 17 or more points three times during this series, making him one of the most consistent scoring threats on the team.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Strong performance not enough
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Toppin registered 17 points (7-12 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-4 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 29 minutes during Friday's 111-104 loss to the Thunder in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Toppin was fantastic despite the loss, scoring at least 17 points for the third time in the past five games. Rick Carlisle opted to go with Myles Turner down the stretch, a decision that was met with some confusion given the play of Toppin. The Pacers squandered a great opportunity to go up 3-1 and will now head to Oklahoma City for what promises to be another fast-paced matchup.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Key contributions in Game 1
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Toppin chipped in 17 points (6-9 FG, 5-8 3Pt), five rebounds and two assists across 25 minutes during Thursday's 111-110 win over the Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Toppin continues to play a key role for the Pacers despite logging somewhat limited minutes off the bench. With that said, he has now played at least 25 minutes in two straight games, scoring 18 and 17 points respectively. Both teams opted to go small down the stretch of Game 1, allowing Toppin to play as a makeshift center. Thursday's win gives Indiana a 1-0 lead, with Game 2 scheduled for Sunday in Oklahoma City.
Toppin notched 18 points (7-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds and three blocks over 25 minutes during Saturday's 125-108 win over New York in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Toppin scored at least 15 points for just the second time this postseason, adding a season-high three blocks. Despite playing a somewhat inconsistent role, Toppin continues to do the little things well, giving the Pacers an alternative look, if and when Myles Turner is struggling. Saturday's win sees the Pacers advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, where a matchup with the high-flying Thunder awaits.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Drops 20 points in thumping win
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Toppin chipped in 20 points (9-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-3 FT), five rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes during Sunday's 129-109 victory over the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Toppin dropped 20 points in 21 minutes, helping the Pacers to an emphatic Game 4 victory over the Cavaliers. This was the first time Toppin has scored at least 20 points since a win over Denver back on April 6. Now leading the series 3-1, Indiana has a chance to wrap things up when the two teams meet again Tuesday.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Sees 21 minutes in win
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Toppin ended with seven points (3-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt), three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 21 minutes during Tuesday's 123-115 win over the Bucks in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Unlike Game 1, Toppin led the entire second in minutes played. He still had a minimal workload, however, as the Pacers seem content to rely heavily on their starters. It seems to be working with a 2-0 start to the series, so it's unlikely that the Pacers will make any drastic changes.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Retreating to bench
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Toppin isn't in the starting five for Saturday's Game 1 against the Pacers.
Pascal Siakam will reclaim his starting role from Toppin after sitting out Indiana's final two games of the regular season. Toppin has averaged 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 19.7 minutes across his previous 10 appearances coming off the bench.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Will start Friday
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Toppin is in Indiana's starting lineup against Orlando on Friday.
Toppin will make his third start of the season Friday due to Pascal Siakam (elbow) being sidelined. Toppin has averaged 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 20.5 minutes per game over his last 10 outings.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Reverts back to second unit
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Toppin will come off the bench in Tuesday's game against the Wizards.
Pascal Siakam will supplant Toppin in the first unit in his return from an elbow injury Tuesday. Toppin has averaged 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.2 three-pointers in 19.8 minutes over his last 10 games off the bench.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Will start vs. Denver
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Toppin will be in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Nuggets, Tony East of WTHR Channel 13 Indianapolis reports.
With Pascal Siakam (elbow) ruled out for Sunday's game in Denver, Toppin will draw his second start of the season. In his previous start, he had one of the best games of his NBA career, finishing with 34 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in a win over the Timberwolves on March 17.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Nears 20 points off bench in win
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Toppin amassed 19 points (7-11 FG, 5-8 3Pt) and seven rebounds across 22 minutes during Monday's 111-109 victory over the Kings.
Toppin shined off the Pacers bench in Monday's contest, leading all players in threes made while hauling in a team-high-tying rebound total and coming up one point short of the 20-point mark. Toppin has connected on five or more threes in four outings, including in two of his last five contests. He has now surpassed the 20-point mark six times this season.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Lights it up from deep off bench
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Toppin recorded 20 points (7-10 FG, 6-9 3Pt), one rebound and one assist over 24 minutes in Monday's 119-103 win over Minnesota.
Toppin shined off the Pacers' bench in Monday's contest, leading all players in threes made while reaching the 20-point mark and finishing second on the team in scoring. Toppin has connected on six or more threes on three occasions, including in two of his last five contests (both games against Minnesota). Toppin has reached the 20-point mark in five outings this season.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Leads Indiana in victory
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Toppin supplied 34 points (12-19 FG, 7-10 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block across 45 minutes during Monday's 132-130 overtime win over the Timberwolves.
The fourth-year big man received the starting nod for the first time this season due to Pascal Siakam (personal), Myles Turner (hip) and Aaron Nesmith (ankle) being sidelined. Toppin posted a team-high mark in points on top of game highs in rebounds and three-pointers. Additionally, two of his seven three-pointers came in the final 30 seconds of overtime, and he hit the game-winning fadeaway triple from the corner in the final seconds. The 27-year-old also recorded at least 30 points and 10 rebounds for just the second time on the season, marking his second double-double over 64 regular-season appearances.
