MINNEAPOLIS — Obi Toppin scored 34 points and hit seven 3-pointers including the game-winner in overtime to lead the Pacers to a stunning 132-130 win over the Timberwolves at the Target Center despite missing four starters and losing their fifth to an ejection and their leading bench scorer to a foul-out.
The Pacers improved to 38-29, getting back into a tie with the Bucks for fourth in the Eastern Conference, though Milwaukee owns the tie-breaker. The Timberwolves fell to 40-30.
Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin scored 22 points before fouling out. Forward Jarace Walker and guard Quenton Jackson scored 12 each. Center Tony Bradley had 12 points and nine rebounds. Guard T.J. McConnell had 11 and 13 rebounds and had the game-tying shot to force overtime. Anthony Edwards scored 38 points to lead the Timberwolves.
Here are three observations.
Obi Toppin carried Pacers down the stretch
With Mathurin fouled out, Andrew Nembhard ejected and Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner all having been ruled out for injuries and in Siakam’s case personal reasons, the Pacers went into overtime down their top seven scorers. So Toppin took the responsibility of carrying the load. He hit four overtime 3-pointers, banking in one of those and then hitting the game-winner with 4.6 seconds to go.
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He finished with 34 points on 12-of-19 shooting including 7-of-10 from 3-point range and added 10 rebounds
Short-handed Pacers fight
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in his pre-game news conference he was actually excited for the young players who would get a chance to play more minutes with Siakam, Haliburton, Nesmith, Turner and even Johnny Furphy out. The Pacers were still starting three former lottery picks in Mathurin, Toppin and Walker along with usual starter Nembhard and backup center Thomas Bryant. However, Mathurin, Toppin and Bryant each had recent games when they saw their minutes trimmed and Walker hadn’t played at all in the Pacers’ past three games.
And the young remaining Pacers fought the Timberwolves much in the way the short-handed 76ers battled the Pacers on Friday night in Philadelphia. They played the Timberwolves even in the first quarter, then went on a 14-0 run in the second quarter and won the period 30-16 to take a 60-46 lead at halftime.
The Timberwolves charged back and won the third 41-29, but the Pacers didn’t go away. They fell behind by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter, but fought back and tied the game on a driving layup by T.J. McConnell with 4.6 seconds to go in regulation. Anthony Edwards missed a buzzer beating 3-pointer and the game went to overtime, which was when Toppin went off.
Tony Bradley earned his contract
Prior to Monday night, Tony Bradley had six NBA points total since the 2022-23 season, having spent all of 2023-24 in the G League and most of this season before the Pacers signed him to a 10-day contract in early March. The Pacers hadn’t had to use him much in his first 10-day, but now in his second one they needed him with four starters out. In the first half alone Monday, he scored more than he had in two years.
Bradley posted 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and seven rebounds in the first half. It was the first time he’d scored in double figures since April 10, 2022 when he scored 11 with the Bulls. He was less productive in the second half but still finished with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He hadn’t scored 12 in a game since April 7, 2021.
