Pacers Rest Top Stars As Jazz Seek To End Losing Streak

The Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz squared off Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, but the buzz leading up to tipoff was less about who would step on the court and more about who wouldn’t. With both teams languishing near the bottom of their respective conference standings—Utah at 15-35 and Indiana at 13-37—the game took on a different kind of significance, one that centered on draft positioning, roster management, and the looming NBA trade deadline.

For the Pacers, this contest marked their final home appearance before embarking on a daunting six-game road trip. Yet, Indiana’s lineup was dramatically depleted. According to the official NBA injury report and multiple sources, All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, wings Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin, and point guards Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell were all ruled out for either rest or injury management. Siakam and Mathurin, who had both played significant minutes in recent games, were listed as out for rest. Nesmith, despite logging 32 minutes in the previous night’s narrow 118-114 loss to the Houston Rockets, was sidelined with a left hand strain. Nembhard and McConnell, meanwhile, were dealing with lower back and left knee issues, respectively.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle confirmed in his pre-game press conference that center Micah Potter would also miss the game due to a left hip contusion, further thinning Indiana’s rotation. The absences meant Indiana was without its top four scorers—Siakam (23.8 points per game), Mathurin (17.8), Nembhard (17.3), and Nesmith (13.9)—as well as its most reliable bench presence in McConnell, who was averaging 9.5 points and 4.8 assists in just over 17 minutes per game. The team’s injury woes were compounded by the continued absences of All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, still recovering from an Achilles tendon tear, and forward Obi Toppin, sidelined since October with a stress fracture.

Such a depleted lineup was not entirely unfamiliar for Indiana this season. Earlier in January, the Pacers rested the same core group of players against the Detroit Pistons on the second night of a back-to-back, resulting in a lopsided 121-78 defeat. With the franchise openly acknowledging its focus on securing a top-five draft pick rather than mounting a late playoff push, Tuesday’s game against Utah became another chapter in a season defined by strategic roster management and long-term planning. As Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar noted, "this is a clear sign of the Pacers understanding that they are much closer to getting a top five draft pick than working their way back into postseason contention."

The Jazz, for their part, arrived in Indianapolis desperate to halt a six-game losing skid. Utah’s struggles this season have been well-documented: the team is dead last in defensive rating, allowing a staggering 127 points per game—nearly five points worse than any other NBA squad. Their up-tempo style, while occasionally producing offensive fireworks, has often left them exposed on the other end. The Jazz entered the contest with a 5-18 road record and just two wins in their last eight outings.

Utah’s injury list was also lengthy. Keyonte George, a promising young guard, remained out with a left ankle sprain. Walker Kessler, a key defensive anchor, was lost for the season back in October due to shoulder surgery. Veteran Kevin Love was listed as doubtful with an illness, while Kyle Anderson and Georges Niang—both reportedly included in a pending trade for All-Star center Jaren Jackson Jr.—were still technically on the roster but unavailable. The Jazz did get some good news: Jusuf Nurkic, who had been battling illness, was upgraded to available just before game time.

The rosters for both teams were so thin that oddsmakers took notice. Utah was installed as a modest favorite, with betting lines hovering around Jazz -2 to -2.5 and the total set at 232.5 points. SportsLine’s projection model, which simulated the matchup 10,000 times, leaned toward the Jazz and projected Lauri Markkanen to lead Utah with an average of 24.6 points. For Indiana, the model anticipated Pascal Siakam—if he were to play—would contribute 25.2 points, but Siakam’s absence meant the Pacers would need to rely on lesser-used players and two-way contract signees.

Given the depleted lineups and both teams’ defensive woes, many analysts expected a high-scoring affair. As one prediction from Covers.com put it, "The first meeting between these teams this season ended in a 152-128 win for the Jazz—a total of 280 points, far Over even the most extreme NBA totals. I’m expecting more of the same tonight, which is why I’m backing the Over." Indeed, Indiana had hit the Over in four of their last five games, while Utah’s frenetic pace and porous defense made shootouts the norm rather than the exception.

But with so many regulars missing, the spotlight shifted to the supporting casts. For Indiana, that meant potential starts for Quenton Jackson, Ben Sheppard, Johnny Furphy, Jarace Walker, and Jay Huff, along with increased minutes for two-way players Taelon Peter and Ethan Thompson. The Jazz, meanwhile, looked to Brice Sensabaugh—who had scored 16 or more points in six of his last nine games—and Lauri Markkanen to provide the offensive punch.

The broader context of the matchup couldn’t be ignored. Both franchises are in the midst of transition, with the Pacers openly prioritizing the draft lottery and the Jazz shaking up their roster through trades. Utah’s acquisition of Jaren Jackson Jr. signaled a commitment to retooling for the future, even as the team tried to snap its losing streak in the present.

As the game tipped off, fans in Indianapolis knew they were witnessing more than just another entry in the NBA’s long regular season. They were watching two organizations at a crossroads, each making calculated decisions with an eye toward brighter days ahead. Whether the night ended in victory or defeat, the real battle for both the Pacers and Jazz would continue long after the final buzzer—on draft boards, in front offices, and in the development of their young talent.

For now, the Pacers head out on the road, their sights set on the future, while the Jazz hope their visit to Indianapolis marks the start of a turnaround. With so much in flux, one thing’s for sure: these aren’t your typical late-season NBA games—they’re auditions, experiments, and, perhaps most importantly, glimpses of what’s to come.