Indiana had a starting five on Monday night. And a reserve.
That was it.
The Pacers had 11 players — representing about 93% of their payroll — out with injuries for their game against the Atlanta Hawks. That left Indiana six players to choose from, putting the Pacers in a precarious position.
“It’s kind of a perfect storm of things happening at once,” coach Rick Carlisle said in his news conference before the game in Indianapolis. “It’s unlucky. But
we have to be smart here.”
Carlisle said that about 90 minutes before game time, thinking at that point he'd have seven players. Things actually got worse not long afterward, when Kelly Oubre Jr. was a late scratch because of a bruised knee.
With that, Indiana was down to six — making Monday the first time since 2004 that the Pacers would use so few players in a game.
The previous low for players used in a game so far this season was eight, by Philadelphia on Oct. 25. There have been seven other instances of teams using six players over the last 15 seasons — almost all of those in meaningless contests toward the end of a season.
The last time a team used only six players in a game during the first few weeks of a season was on Nov. 24, 2009, when Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors — with some players getting cramps massaged out of their legs during timeouts — somehow beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-103.
Along with Oubre, the rundown of those missing: Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring), Pascal Siakam (rest), Johnny Furphy (knee), T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Larry Nance Jr. (illness), Andrew Nembhard (cervical), Aaron Nesmith (hamstring), Ben Sheppard (knee), Obi Toppin (lumbar sprain) and Ivica Zubac (ankle).
Some players are out for weeks; some just couldn't go Monday, with Indiana on the second night of a back-to-back. “Injury management,” Carlisle said.
That left the Pacers with one player making more than $3 million this season — Jarace Walker. Add it all up, and Indiana had about $193 million in salary sitting and about $15 million in salary playing.
The rest of Indiana's available players included Jay Huff, Quenton Jackson and three players on two-way deals: Braden Smith, Jalen Slawson and Kobe Brown. Smith got the first start of his NBA career, with Walker, Slawson, Huff and Jackson joining him in the starting lineup. Brown came off the bench.
“There’s going to be some real opportunity,” Carlisle said.
Indiana next plays on Wednesday at Memphis. The Pacers don't play Tuesday — the entire league has the day off for Election Day — and are off Thursday and Friday as well.
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