Pacers lose to Hawks despite late push

The Indiana Pacers lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

Indiana fell 108-104 in a game where the home team fielded only six players. Jay Huff scored 22 points for the Pacers. Quenton Jackson added 20 points and Braden Smith recorded 19 points with 10 assists. The loss marked Indiana's fifth straight defeat.

The Pacers trailed for most of the first three quarters but stayed within striking distance. They never trailed by more than 15 points. Jackson stole the ball from Nickeil Alexander-Walker with 1:36 left. He then made a layup to cut the Atlanta lead to two. The score was 106-104 at that moment. Jackson missed a 3-pointer with 43.1 seconds left that would have taken the lead. Atlanta's Onyeka Okongwu made a jumper with 10.2 seconds left to seal the win.

The Pacers played with a severely limited roster. Coach Rick Carlisle called the situation injury management. Kelly Oubre Jr. was a late scratch due to a bruised knee. Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Ivica Zubac were among the many sidelined players. Some were out for weeks while others rested for the second night of a back-to-back. The players who sat out hold a combined salary of about $193 million. The six players on the court earn about $15 million combined. Jarace Walker led Indiana in minutes with 44. Jackson played the fewest minutes among the starters with 34.

Atlanta was also missing Jalen Johnson with a sprained left ankle. Alexander-Walker led the Hawks with 34 points. The Hawks avoided losing to a team with such a thin lineup. Indiana had a late surge. They went on a 9-0 run capped by Huff's free throws. That run brought them within two points. Atlanta responded to an earlier 8-0 run by the Pacers with a stop and a 3-pointer by Alexander-Walker.

Both teams return to action on Wednesday. The Hawks will play at Washington. The Pacers will play at Memphis.