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123 days later, he finally returned to the court. It was a long gap, and Toppin hasn\u2019t reached 20 minutes in a game since his comeback. The Pacers want to be cautious with his playing time. But he\u2019s back on the hardwood, and that means something to both him and the rest of his team.<\/p>\n
Why did Obi Toppin return this season for the Pacers?<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, I love playing. I want to be out there as much as I can. I never want to sit any games out,\u201d Toppin said of his desire to return this season. He couldn\u2019t sit still during his rehab. At one point, he got up shots at the Pacers practice facility while riding around on a knee scooter. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to rush anything, but we still wanted to get out a couple of games just so I\u2019m not going into the summer wondering how it\u2019s going to feel when I\u2019m out there playing real basketball. So that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing now and everything\u2019s been good.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Practice is one thing, and simulated games are another. But there is nothing like NBA action against an opponent to get rhythm and improve conditioning. That\u2019s what Toppin has been doing the last four weeks. He\u2019s started three times, seen his minutes increase, and played in all but two games \u2013 he missed one leg of two back-to-backs \u2013 since his return in late February.<\/p>\n
At first, there were struggles. Toppin missed his first 10 three-point shots and didn\u2019t make more than one field goal in a game until his fifth post-return outing. His non-rebounding numbers were muted outside of a five assist performance against the Memphis Grizzlies. A low minutes total was certainly a factor, but it was clear Toppin had to reacclimate to his teammates, some of whom were new, and to NBA action in general.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s been far more effective in recent games. Across his last four appearances, in which Toppin has only posted 16.3 minutes per game, he\u2019s averaging 13.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest on 53% shooting from the field. Almost half of his outside shots have gone in. It took about 10 days, but Toppin looks more like himself of late.<\/p>\n
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New York Knicks’ Mikal Bridges (25) defends Indiana Pacers’ Obi Toppin (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll say after the first game. After [it], I got that \u2018I can do this now\u2019 feeling. Because you really don\u2019t know coming back from injuries, putting a screw in your foot, and then playing that same year,\u201d Toppin said when asked about what time he started to feel like himself on the court again. \u201cYou don\u2019t know how that\u2019s going to feel. So getting out there that first time, it was more just see how it feels, see if I can play through it and stuff. And everything felt good, I had no issues with my foot. Probably the second game I started to feel like myself. [I] need to make a couple more shots, but when I\u2019m out there, I think I\u2019m good.\u201d<\/p>\n