The Indiana Pacers have a chance to clinch top-three lottery odds on Thursday vs. the Brooklyn Nets. They have a lengthy injury report for the tank matchup. Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, T.J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Ivica Zubac and Johnny Furphy were ruled out. Meanwhile, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard and Kobe Brown are questionable.
If Walker, Sheppard and Brown are ruled out, Indiana will have eight available players on Thursday: Quenton Jackson, Kam Jones, Obi Toppin, Ethan Thompson, Jay Huff, Micah Potter, Jalen Slawson and Taelon Peter.
Indiana has three fewer wins than the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings, who are tied for fourth, with three games remaining. A loss in any of its remaining three games will clinch a bottom-three finish.
The Pacers traded their 2026 first-round pick, top-four protected, to the Los Angeles Clippers for Zubac at the deadline. The top three lottery slots each have a 52.1 percent chance of picking in the top four.
Pacers gearing up for heated tank battle vs. Nets with top-three lottery odds on line
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The Pacers will face a Nets team desperate for a loss on Thursday. Brooklyn held a three-win cushion for a bottom-three finish with five games remaining. However, after wins over the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks in its last two games, the rebuilding squad has one fewer win than the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz.
With Michael Porter Jr., Egor Demin, Day’Ron Sharpe and Danny Wolf shut down for the season, the Nets ruled out Nolan Traore (Rest), Nic Claxton (Right Fifth Finger Sprain), Noah Clowney (Left Ankle Injury Management), Josh Minott (Left Ankle Soreness), Terance Mann (Right Patella Tendinosis) and Ziaire Williams (Left Foot Tenosynovitis / Bursitis) on Thursday.
Brooklyn will have nine available players vs. Indiana: Ben Saraf, Malachi Smith, Drake Powell, E.J. Liddell, Trevon Scott, Tyson Etienne, Jalen Wilson, Ochai Agbaji and Chaney Johnson.
The Pacers enter the matchup as four-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Indiana will play the Philadelphia 76ers on a back-to-back on Friday before closing its season against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. Brooklyn will face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday before its season-finale against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
The Indiana Pacers have a chance to clinch top-three lottery odds on Thursday vs. the Brooklyn Nets. They have a lengthy injury report for the tank matchup. Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, T. J. McConnell, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Ivica Zubac and Johnny Furphy were ruled out. Meanwhile, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard and Kobe Brown are questionable.