Three listed returns today give Indiana a shot at ending a…

By the Pacers Nightly Desk · Monday, November 2

Indiana has lost four straight and scored only 90 points against a Brooklyn team that had not won. Atlanta arrives at 3-4 with its best player listed with an ankle problem, so this is a game the Pacers can take if their rotation returns.

Pacers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Who might be back tonight

Obi Toppin, Ivica Zubac and T.J. McConnell are each listed with a Nov. 2 return. Toppin's back problem has flipped his status several times since Oct. 30, so treat his date as a hope. Zubac has played three games this season, at 21.4 minutes. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files wrote that Sunday's loss left big holes without Haliburton and Zubac, especially at center. He also noted that Jay Huff fouled out scoreless in 16 minutes.

Seven games of a thin margin

Indiana scores 111.0 points per 100 possessions and allows 114.4, a net of -3.5 over seven games. Atlanta is at 1.0 over the same number of games, so the gap between these clubs is small. Sunday showed how it closes: Andrew Nembhard shot 7-19, Aaron Nesmith finished minus-15, and Brooklyn led after each quarter by as many as 12. Quenton Jackson, Kobe Brown and Jarace Walker are all playing more minutes with teammates out, and that load only works if the ball keeps moving.

Atlanta, then Memphis

The standings are tight. Indiana sits 1.5 games behind sixth-place Washington and half a game behind tenth-place New York. Atlanta beat the Pacers 119-117 on Oct. 10, and Jalen Johnson, who averages 18.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists, is listed with a left ankle problem. Indiana plays at Memphis on Nov. 4. Tyrese Haliburton's listed date is Nov. 13, and he is 15 assists short of 3,000. The open question is whether Rick Carlisle gets a real center rotation back before that date.

Who is expected to return for the Pacers against the Hawks?

The injury report lists Obi Toppin, Ivica Zubac and T.J. McConnell with Nov. 2 return dates. Tyrese Haliburton is listed for Nov. 13.

Where do the Pacers stand in the East?

Indiana is 2-5 and 12th in the East after four straight losses. It is 1.5 games behind sixth place and half a game behind tenth.

By the Pacers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.