In a season disrupted by injuries, the Pacers received a major emotional boost Thursday as Obi Toppin returned to action after missing nearly the entire 2025/26 season following foot surgery, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
The sixth-year forward was welcomed with a “thunderous standing ovation” from the home crowd when introduced as a starter.
“He’s our engine,” veteran guard T.J. McConnell said. “He brings energy on both ends of the floor. To have him back, it’s just such a positive for our team. We’ve missed him dearly.
“He’s worked tirelessly to come back. … It just didn’t look like he missed a beat. It looked like he was having fun out there and I was just really happy for him.”
Dopirak reports that Toppin first felt discomfort in his right hamstring on October 26 during Indiana’s third game of the season, but further testing revealed a fracture in his fifth metatarsal that required surgery.
Toppin said returning this season was always a priority.
“I always want to be out there on the floor,” he said. “I wasn’t rushing to come back, but I definitely want to go out there. We’re still a team. We still want to find that rhythm. We’re not having the greatest year this year, but to find that rhythm and connectivity with the team.
“We have standards, we have things that we go by, so going out there and playing the right way for the team, whether that’s for this year or next year, we still have a lot of games coming up. Just continue to play the right way and show the younger guys how this goes.”
Toppin logged just over eight minutes in the loss and will remain on a minutes restriction for the rest of the season.
Head coach Rick Carlisle also praised the energy he brings to the team.
“Just the reaction of the crowd was heartwarming,” Carlisle said. “He’s a guy that brings energy to our team and our situation. … We need him.”
Pacers Notes: Toppin, Q. Jackson, Slawson, Two-Ways, More https://t.co/VOjmESXlxP pic.twitter.com/IUENxFetnX
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