Pacers' Obi Toppin Helped Off Court After Suffering Significant Injury Early vs Thunder

Indiana is currently impressing against the West's top seed.

December 22, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) shoots the basketball against Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

During an impressive opening quarter showing against the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder, the Indiana Pacers lost one of their most durable role players to an ominous injury.

Reserve power forward Obi Toppin, backup to two-time All-Defensive Teamer Pascal Siakam, suffered what has officially been deemed a left ankle sprain against the Thunder, and had to be helped off the hardwood and into Indiana's locker room. He has been listed as questionable to return to the contest, according to the club's home broadcast.

Toppin appeared in all 83 games Indiana played during the 2024-25 regular season — the additional contest represented the team's NBA Cup final loss to the Los Angeles Lakers — in addition to all of the club's playoff efforts. He has missed just one game of the 15-15 Pacers' 30 so far.

At the end of the first frame, Indiana leads Oklahoma City, the Western Conference's No. 1 seed for a second straight season (so far) with a sparkling 23-5 record on the year, by a significant 29-19 margin. The Pacers led by as many as 15 points in that initial period to open the game.

Toppin did return to the bench at the top of the second quarter, but remained questionable to return.

Indiana is 15-15 on the year, but that tally belies how good the Pacers have looked of late. The team has won five games in a row.

Toppin, who like his team has been red-hot off the bench during this win streak, appeared in just 2:46 before going down. But in that window, he scored five points on 2-of-2 shooting from the floor (1-of-1 from deep) and grabbed one rebound.

All told, Toppin is averaging 10.7 points on .550/.352/.861 shooting splits, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.8 steals in 20.4 minutes for Indiana this season. In his last five games, he's really stepped up his scoring, averaging 13.6 points on .625/.450/.818 shooting splits, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.8 assists per.

This summer, the 26-year-old Toppin inked a four-year, $58 million restricted free agent contract to remain with Indiana, for whom he's played since being dealt from the New York Knicks during the 2023 offseason. A high-flying dunk machine, the 6-foot-9 vet was initially drafted by New York with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Dayton.

UPDATE:

Toppin has returned to the floor for the Pacers late into the second quarter.

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