The Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets in Brooklyn on Sunday night, but the bigger early turn in the game came when Ivica Zubac rolled his left ankle and later left on crutches. The Pacers, wearing their ABA Classic uniforms for the first time this season, also opened with their expected starting lineup for the first time this season.
That lineup mattered right away. Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Zubac gave Indiana its cleanest starting group of the year, the sort of first five that can settle a game before it gets messy. Instead, the Pacers still had eight turnovers in the first quarter and trailed after the opening period because of the turnover volume and too many shooting fouls.
That is what made the night feel more complicated than the final score. Zubac was hurt with about five minutes left in the first quarter when his foot landed on Kelly Oubre's foot, and the team announced him as questionable to return with a left ankle sprain. He had two points and two assists before leaving and never came back.
The game also looked like a response to Friday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks after Indiana fell behind by as much as 37, and the Pacers did show more force after the break. They finished the first half with 13 turnovers and 15 fouls, while the Nets attempted 23 free throws. Pascal Siakam scored 15 points on eight shot attempts before halftime, and Obi Toppin added eight points, four rebounds and two three-pointers.
Rick Carlisle said X-rays were negative for a fracture and that Zubac had some swelling, but he also called it pretty unlikely that the big man would play tomorrow night. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said Zubac left the arena on crutches, which makes the next game the one to watch now. For Indiana, the first use of its expected starting lineup helped, but the injury may carry more weight than the win.
