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Pacers at Hornets: Money on the Floor, January 8, 2026
Who's playing tonight? See the real matchup.Who's playing tonight? See the real matchup.Who's playing tonight? See the real matchup.Who's playing tonight? See the real matchup.
Haliburton tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on June 22 and underwent surgery the following day. Any hope of a return during the 2025-26 campaign was shut down Monday, when Pacers president Kevin Pritchard stated plainly, "He will not play next year though. We would not jeopardize that now. So don't get any hopes up that he will play." Haliburton has cemented himself as the face of the franchise and played a key role in Indiana's run to the NBA Finals during the 2024-25 playoffs, averaging 17.3 points, 8.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 33.5 minutes across 23 postseason games. During the 2024-25 regular season, the 2020 first-round pick averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals over 73 appearances.
It sounds like a day-to-day issue for Nembhard, whose next chance to play comes Saturday against Miami. The point guard minutes should be divvied up between T.J. Mc Connell and Ben Sheppard on Thursday, with both players being worthy of streaming consideration.
Toppin will likely miss a considerable amount of time following this surgery. Head coach Rick Carlisle told the media not to ask about Toppin's status until Feb. 1. The team will likely turn to Jay Huff, Jarace Walker and Tony Bradley to help shoulder the load in the frontcourt.
Pacers reporter Dustin Dopirak noted that when Carlisle uses the "a while" timetable, it typically means the player will spend at least a week on the sidelines, and potentially multiple weeks. Therefore, it doesn't sound like Mathurin will be available during Week 12. Aaron Nesmith, Johnny Furphy and Ben Sheppard will all help fill the void while Mathurin is out.
Jackson will remain sidelined due to a concussion. Thursday's absence is his ninth straight, and will leave more minutes for Jay Huff and Micah Potter. It's unclear how close Jackson is to returning, but his next chance to do so will come Saturday against Miami.
