The Indiana Pacers fought with only six available players on Monday night and nearly pulled off a massive upset against the Atlanta Hawks before falling 108-104. Eleven Pacers sat out due to injuries or mandatory rest, leaving the roster dangerously thin for this second night of a back-to-back. The loss marked the franchise’s first six-player game since November 20, 2004, the day after the infamous “Malice at the Palace” brawl. This historic scarcity of bodies did not stop Indiana from pushing the game down to the final seconds, showing real grit despite the odds.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 34 points, including nine three-pointers that tied a career best. Onyeka Okongwu sealed the victory with a jumper with 10.2 seconds remaining after Quenton Jackson missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer with 43.1 seconds left. Jackson had previously cut the deficit to two points with a steal and layup at 1:36 remaining, but the Pacers could not complete the comeback. For Indiana, Jay Huff scored 22 points while Jackson added 20, and Braden Smith recorded 19 points and 10 assists in the narrow defeat. The starters included Jarace Walker, who logged 44 minutes, while two-way players Jalen Slawson and Kobe Brown filled the remaining rotation spots.
A Historic Roster Crisis
With players who sat out earning a combined salary of about $193 million and those on the court making about $15 million, the scale of the absence was staggering. Tyrese Haliburton headed the list of missing stars with a hamstring strain, joined by T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith who also suffered hamstring issues. Larry Nance Jr. Johnny Furphy and Ben Sheppard missed time with knee injuries, and Kelly Oubre Jr. became a late scratch with a bruised knee. Coach Rick Carlisle called these absences “injury management” before tipoff, acknowledging the severe constraints on his lineup.
Quin Snyder, the Hawks head coach, lauded the win’s quality even as he admitted the Hawks missed their best rim presence while dealing with their own absent players. He specifically highlighted Alexander-Walker’s dual threat, stating, according to Peachtree Hoops, “The thing about Nickeil is he’s still playing on the defensive end too.” Snyder also doubled down on his belief that this was a good win by adding, “Every win is a good one, and people say that because it’s true.” The Hawks were missing Jalen Johnson after an ankle tweak in New Orleans, and Jock Landale also missed out, but the injury list was nowhere near as severe as Indiana’s.
Carlisle Praises Effort Despite Skid
Indiana (2-6) has now lost five straight games, and this narrow loss to a depleted Hawks squad will sting. The Pacers played their hearts out, according to reports, who watched his thin rotation burn out over the final minutes. “They played their hearts out,” Carlisle said after the game ended. The team’s resilience was evident, yet the lack of depth ultimately cost them in a game where every possession mattered. This performance proves the young players like Jarace Walker and Braden Smith can handle heavy minutes, but the gap in talent is still too wide to overcome without their stars.
The financial disparity of the roster highlights just how much the Pacers are missing. With the starters making a fraction of the salary of the sidelined veterans, the team relied heavily on two-way contracts and emergency call-ups. Only five players dressed for the 1948 Lakers in their third game, making them the last team to field so few this early in a season. That historical parallel shows how rare this situation is in the modern NBA. The Pacers must hope for rapid recoveries from their injured stars, or this six-player experiment could become a frequent nightmare for the franchise.
