The Indiana Pacers played a game against the Atlanta Hawks with only six available players due to injuries and rest, marking their first such instance since November 20, 2004. Despite the severe roster depletion, the Pacers nearly secured a win before falling 108-104.
Jarace Walker was one of only six available players for Indiana on Monday night. The team had a starting five and a single reserve, leaving coach Rick Carlisle with almost no roster flexibility.
Eleven players, representing about 93% of the team’s payroll, sat out the matchup. Indiana had roughly $193 million in salary sitting on the sidelines while putting about $15 million in salary on the court.
Why were so many Indiana players missing on Monday night?
Carlisle described the situation as a perfect storm of bad luck and injury management during his pregame news conference. The list of absentees included Tyrese Haliburton with a hamstring injury, Pascal Siakam resting, Johnny Furphy with a knee issue, T.J. McConnell with a hamstring injury, Larry Nance Jr. dealing with an illness, Andrew Nembhard with a cervical issue, Aaron Nesmith with a hamstring injury, Ben Sheppard with a knee problem, Obi Toppin with a lumbar sprain, and Ivica Zubac with an ankle injury.
Things worsened roughly 90 minutes before tipoff when Kelly Oubre Jr. was a late scratch due to a bruised knee. That scratch dropped the active roster from seven players down to six.
How rare is it for an NBA team to play with only six players?
Monday marked the first time since November 20, 2004, that the Pacers used only six players in a game. That previous instance came just one day after the Malice at the Palace brawl between Indiana and Detroit, which triggered multiple suspensions. Carlisle also coached that 2004 squad.
The previous low for players used in a single game this season was eight, set by Philadelphia on October 25. Over the last 15 seasons, teams have used six players on seven other occasions, almost entirely during meaningless contests near the end of a regular season.
The last time a team dressed only six players during the first few weeks of a season was November 24, 2009. In that matchup, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors managed a 111-103 victory over the Dallas Mavericks while staff massaged cramps out of players’ legs during timeouts.
Who took the court for the undermanned Pacers?
With a payroll disparity leaving Jarace Walker as the only active player making more than $3 million this season, Indiana turned to a makeshift rotation. Jay Huff, Quenton Jackson, and three players on two-way contracts—Braden Smith, Jalen Slawson, and Kobe Brown—rounded out the available roster.
Smith earned the first start of his NBA career, joining Walker, Slawson, Huff, and Jackson on the floor for the opening tip. Brown entered the game off the bench. Every active Indiana player logged between 34 and 45 minutes.
The group nearly pulled off an improbable victory. The Pacers erased a 15-point second-half deficit, cutting Atlanta’s lead to two points in the final minutes. Fatigue caught up in the end when Smith grabbed a defensive rebound with about a minute remaining, began hopping while dribbling, and clutched his left calf, mouthing “cramp” toward the bench.
Carlisle called a timeout and substituted Smith out with 58.7 seconds left. Quenton Jackson subsequently missed a 3-pointer that would have given Indiana the lead, and the Hawks secured the 108-104 win after Onyeka Okongwu scored with just over 10 seconds remaining.
When do the Pacers play next?
The entire NBA has Tuesday off for Election Day. The Pacers return to action on Wednesday to play at Memphis, followed by scheduled days off on Thursday and Friday.
