Down to 6 players, Jay Huff and Pacers put scare in Hawks before losing 108-104

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jay Huff scored 22 points for Indiana and the Pacers, down to six players because of injuries and rest, put a scare into the Atlanta Hawks before losing 108-104 on Monday night.

Quenton Jackson added 20 points and Braden Smith had 19 points and 10 assists for the Pacers, who dropped their fifth straight game — a result that might have been considered inevitable before tipoff. But Indiana had reasonable hopes of ending the skid when Jackson stole the ball from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and converted a layup to get the Pacers within 106-104 with 1:36 left.

Jackson missed a 3-pointer with 43.1 seconds remaining that would have given Indiana the lead, and Atlanta’s Onyeka Okongwu converted a jumper with 10.2 seconds left for the final margin.

Alexander-Walker scored 34 points to lead the Hawks, who avoided the embarrassment of losing to a severely undermanned team.

Atlanta was missing Jalen Johnson because of a sprained left ankle, but the Hawks could hardly use injuries as an excuse, given what the Pacers were going through.

The Pacers’ starters were Huff, Jackson, Jarace Walker (15 points) and two players on two-way deals: Smith and Jalen Slawson (12 points). Another two-way player, Kobe Brown (16 points), was Indiana’s lone reserve.

Kelly Oubre Jr. was a late scratch because of a bruised knee, joining sidelined teammates Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring), Pascal Siakam (rest), Johnny Furphy (knee), T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Larry Nance Jr. (illness), Andrew Nembhard (cervical), Aaron Nesmith (hamstring), Ben Sheppard (knee), Obi Toppin (lumbar sprain) and Ivica Zubac (ankle).

Some players are out for weeks; some just couldn’t go Monday, with Indiana on the second night of a back-to-back. “Injury management,” coach Rick Carlisle said before the game.

The players who sat out have a combined salary of about $193 million, while those on the court make about $15 million.

Walker led the Pacers in minutes with 44. Jackson had the shortest time on the court for Indiana with 34 minutes.

Jackson converted a three-point play with 7:36 remaining that got the Pacers within 93-90. Atlanta responded with an 8-0 run, capped by Alexander-Walker’s 3-pointer. But Indiana made one more run, a 9-0 spurt capped by Huff’s two free throws with 2:24 left to get within two.

Indiana trailed for most of first three quarters, but never by more than 15 points.

Up next

Hawks: At Washington on Wednesday.

Pacers: At Memphis on Wednesday.

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