There will be no Tyrese Haliburton, no Aaron Nesmith, and no Obi Toppin for the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night against the New York Knicks.
Injuries, especially Haliburton's recovery from Achilles tendon surgery, are the primary reason the Pacers are 6-20 and at the bottom of the Eastern Conference after appearing in the NBA Finals in 2024-25.
The Knicks just capped off a thrilling run to the NBA Cup championship game with a win against the San Antonio Spurs, and have enjoyed decent health to this point.
Guards Miles McBride (sprained left ankle) and Landry Shamet (right shoulder sprain) will not play against Indiana. Four additional Knicks players are listed as questionable for the contest.
New York's bench should come prepared
OG Anunoby (left knee contusion), Josh Hart (abdominal strain), Karl-Anthony Towns (left knee soreness), and Mitchell Robinson (injury management) are listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Pacers.
Towns did not play the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter on Tuesday against the Spurs, grabbing at his leg on the bench. The Knicks have shown that they will be careful with Robinson's minutes throughout the season.
New York will play three games in the next four days, including a back-to-back set, with Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden.
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