Pacers' Obi Toppin: Limited action off bench in return
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Toppin amassed two points (1-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt), three rebounds, two assists and two blocks over 19 minutes during Wednesday's 94-90 loss to the Magic.
Toppin returned to the court Wednesday after missing Indiana's previous game due to an ankle injury, seeing limited action off the bench despite doing a little bit of everything in his time on the floor. Toppin recorded a team-high-tying pair of blocks in just south of 20 minutes, the first time this year he has recorded more than one block. Look for Toppin to see his role continue to expand as he works his way back to full strength.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Cleared for Wednesday
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Toppin (ankle) will play Wednesday versus Orlando, Tony East of SI.com reports.
Toppin will return from a one-game absence due to a left ankle sprain. Toppin is averaging 22.8 minutes per game across his last five contests, with 58.0 percent of his minutes coming at the power forward position.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Questionable for Wednesday
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Toppin (ankle) will be listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against Orlando, Tony East of SI.comreports.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Toppin was able to go through portions of practice Tuesday which included shooting drills. Toppin missed his first game of the campaign Sunday against the Knicks but appears to be day-to-day.
Toppin (ankle) won't play Sunday against the Knicks, Tony East of SI.com reports.
Toppin will miss his first game of the season due to a left ankle sprain. Given all of the injuries in Indiana's frontcourt, Jarace Walker and Enrique Freeman are candidates for increased roles off the bench versus New York. Toppin's next chance to suit up will come Wednesday in Orlando.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Questionable to face New York
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Toppin is questionable for Sunday's game against the Knicks due to a left ankle sprain.
Toppin is a new addition to the injury report, and his potential absence would hurt the Pacers due to their lack of depth in the frontcourt. Toppin has scored in double digits in four of his nine appearances this season while averaging 20.8 minutes per game off the bench.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Scores double digits in win
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Toppin put up 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt), six rebounds and two assists over 24 minutes in Monday's 134-127 victory over Dallas.
Toppin has been a consistent contributor among Indiana's second unit, chipping in seven or more points in every game after the season opener. He averages 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks over 21.3 minutes this season, but with Aaron Nesmith (ankle) potentially out for an extended period of time, it is likely Toppin will see an increase in usage until Nesmith returns.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Posts season high in win Wednesday
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Toppin finished Wednesday's 135-132 nailbiter victory over the Celtics with 18 points (6-15 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
Toppin recorded season highs in both points (18) and minutes (33), and has put up at least 14 points for a third consecutive game. Despite concerns regarding playing time in the previous contest against the Magic, Toppin was second among all bench players in minutes Wednesday night, behind only Bennedict Mathurin (43). He is averaging 11.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks and a solid 37.5 percent mark from three to begin the season.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Leads reserves in scoring Monday
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Toppin finished Monday's 119-115 loss to the Magic with 14 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and two rebounds over 14 minutes.
Toppin led the Pacers' bench in scoring Monday, and he did most of his damage from deep. Despite his strong shooting performance, Toppin played a season-low 14 minutes and saw less playing time then fellow reserves Ben Sheppard (23) and Isaiah Jackson (22).
Toppin (neck) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Pistons.
Toppin missed the Pacers' preseason finale due to a neck injury but will be good to go for the regular season. He held a consistent role during his first season in Indiana last year, averaging 10.3 points in 21.1 minutes per game across 82 regular-season appearances (28 starts).
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Won't play Thursday
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Toppin is out for Thursday's preseason game versus the Hornets due to a neck injury, Tony East of SI.com reports.
While the severity of Toppin's neck injury is uncertain, he will miss Indiana's preseason finale. Toppin's neck chance to suit up is the Pacers' regular-season opener against the Pistons on Oct. 23.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Scores eight points in start Monday
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Toppin totaled eight points (3-5 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), two steals, one rebound and one assist across 17 minutes in Monday's preseason loss to the Grizzlies.
With Pascal Siakam receiving a scheduled day of rest, Toppin got the start at the four-spot Monday. The 26-year-old is expected to serve as the club's primary backup at power forward, and he could see minutes at the center position as well. Toppin is coming off a career-best year with Indiana, during which he averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 combined steals plus blocks across 21.1 minutes per game while playing in all 82 regular-season outings. The big man also shot a career-high 57.3 percent from the field in the 2023-24 campaign.
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Pacers' Obi Toppin: Starting Monday
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Toppin will start Monday's preseason game against the Grizzlies.
With Pascal Siakam (rest) and Aaron Nesmith (ankle) unavailable, Toppin and Jarace Walker will enter the starting lineup. Last Thursday, Toppin posted six points (2-5 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, three assists and a steal in 17 minutes off the bench during a win over the Cavaliers.
Toppin agreed Sunday with the Pacers on a four-year, $60 million contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
After coming over in a trade from the Knicks last summer, Toppin proved to be a valuable contributor for Indiana as the club's top reserve big man. He appeared in all 82 games and averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 21.1 minutes per contest. Indiana will bring back frontcourt starters Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner in 2024-25, so Toppin's role is unlikely to change dramatically despite receiving more of a long-term financial commitment.
The Pacers issued Toppin a qualifying offer Wednesday, making him a restricted free agent, Tony East of SI.com reports.
Toppin set career highs across the board during his first season in Indiana, as he averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 stocks in 21.1 minutes across 82 regular-season appearances. He also provided a spark off the bench during the postseason, scoring at least 10 points in six straight games at one point. During that stretch, Toppin averaged 15.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game.
