Pacers find playing short no problem, with no stoppin' Obi Toppin in OT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers took the floor in Minnesota without four starters, including stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.

The final member of their usual starting five was ejected in the third quarter, when Andrew Nembhard got his second technical foul of the game.

And when Bennedict Mathurin fouled out late in the fourth quarter, the Pacers were down their six top scorers.

But the subs wouldn't stop, and Obi Toppin finished off an unforgettable night with an improbable 132-130 overtime win Monday that pulled the Pacers even with Milwaukee for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Toppin hit all four of his 3-point attempts in overtime, including the winner with 3.5 seconds lift to finish with a season-high 34 points and beat a Timberwolves team that hadn't lost all month.

“I didn’t feel like I had to be the one to score,” said Toppin, who made a career-high seven 3-pointers in 10 attempts. “We’ve got great guys on this team. We go out there and do our job to the best that we can, even if we have guys out. Everybody on the team is a good NBA player.”

T.J. McConnell drove to the basket along the baseline and whipped a pass into the corner that the 6-foot-9 Toppin caught before launching his rainbow shot with Nickeil Alexander-Walker tightly guarding him.

The 3-pointer that Toppin banked in earlier in overtime gave him belief this one would go in, too.

“He's stepping into his shots really well,” Nembhard said of the eighth overall pick in the 2020 draft, who is in his second season with the Pacers after being traded by the New York Knicks. “His confidence is just pouring into all of his game.”

Toppin's timing was impeccable, with such a depleted lineup.

Indiana forward Aaron Nesmith was scratched for management of his left ankle injury that kept him out for 35 games earlier this season. Pacers center Myles Turner was out with a bruised left hip.

Siakam’s first absence as a member of the Pacers, who acquired him 14 months ago in a trade with Toronto, was due to personal reasons. The three-time All-Star forward leads the team with an average of 20.9 points per game.

Haliburton sat out with lower back soreness. An All-Star in each of the previous two seasons, Haliburton missed three games earlier this month because of a left hip flexor strain. The Pacers lost all three of those without their point guard.

Toppin joined Nembhard and Mathurin in the starting lineup along with Jarace Walker and Thomas Bryant, who hit a 3-pointer with a minute left in overtime to cut Minnesota's lead to two.

“Guys are coming in with nothing to lose, almost,” Nembhard said. “Just trying to feed off each other and bring the competitiveness into the game.”

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Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin, second from left, celebrates with guard Quenton Jackson, third from left, and guard Tyrese Haliburton, right, after scoring the winning 3-point basket to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves in an NBA basketball game Monday, March 17, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) goes up to score against Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during overtime of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 17, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, second from right, is fouled by Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson, left, as he drives to the basket past forward Obi Toppin, right, during overtime of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 17, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin, left, drives past Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 17, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) shoots a 3-point basket over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker, center left, for the win during overtime of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 17, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, front, and Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard battle for a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 17, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)

Indiana Pacers' Myles Turner, right, reacts past Philadelphia 76ers' Adem Bona after scoring during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Indiana Pacers' Pascal Siakam, left, goes up for a shot past Philadelphia 76ers' Ricky Council IV during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton (0) passes the ball against Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in his seventh triple-double of the season, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 111-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 23 points and Onyeka Okongwu had 22 for the Hawks, while both Zaccharie Risacher and Luke Kennard scored 12.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 24 points. OG Anunoby had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Mikal Bridges added 18 points.

Ariel Hukporti, who replaced Karl-Anthony Towns (illness) in the starting lineup, grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds for New York.

The Knicks got off to a quick start, taking an 11-2 lead. Trailing 30-29, the Hawks scored the final four points of the first quarter and never trailed again.

Atlanta extended its lead to 60-45 on Okongwu’s short jumper with 1:16 remaining in the second quarter before Brunson’s runner cut the Knicks’ deficit to 60-47 at halftime.

Alexander-Walker’s driving layup with 1:14 left in the third quarter gave the Hawks their biggest lead of the game at 94-68 and they were ahead 94-70 at the end of the quarter.

The Knicks scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter and pulled within 94-81 before Kennard connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to end the streak.

New York mounted a final rally following consecutive 3-pointers by Bridges to edge within 108-99, but never got any closer.

The Hawks, who have won two in a row following a season-high, seven-game losing streak, became the first team to hold the Knicks to fewer than 100 points this season.

Atlanta's Trae Young (bruised right quadriceps) and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) each missed their third straight games.

Hawks: Visit Toronto on Saturday.

Knicks: Host Philadelphia on Saturday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu reacts after scoring a 3-point basket during first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) passes the ball around New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti (55) during second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, bottom, and Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) battle for the ball during second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, right, is defended by New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby during second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)