Pacers vs. Thunder: Injury-Riddled Rematch Highlights Friday Night Showdown
Friday night brings a compelling rematch from last year’s NBA Finals as the Indiana Pacers hit the road to face the Oklahoma City Thunder. But while the matchup carries the weight of recent history, both teams are entering this one in very different places-and with very different rosters than the ones that took the floor back in October.
Let’s start with the Pacers. They’re in a bit of a slide right now, having dropped three straight and four of their last five.
That early-season magic that helped them push the Thunder to double-overtime on opening night? It’s been hard to come by lately-and the injury report isn’t doing them any favors.
Pacers Injury Report (as of Jan. 23):
- Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - OUT
- Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) - OUT
- Obi Toppin (foot) - OUT
- Taelon Peter (two-way) - DOUBTFUL
- Quenton Jackson (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
- Ethan Thompson (two-way) - PROBABLE
The big headline here is Haliburton. The All-Star guard remains sidelined with an Achilles injury, and without him, Indiana’s offense simply doesn’t have the same rhythm or punch.
Mathurin and Toppin are also out, stripping the Pacers of two key rotation players who bring scoring and energy. Quenton Jackson is questionable after tweaking his ankle in a short six-minute stint against Boston earlier this week, and Taelon Peter is listed as doubtful.
That leaves Indiana leaning heavily on depth, youth, and whoever is healthy enough to suit up. It's a tough ask against a Thunder team that’s been rolling.
Thunder Injury Report (as of Jan. 23):
- Alex Caruso (adductor) - OUT
- Isaiah Hartenstein (soleus) - OUT
- Ajay Mitchell (abdominal) - OUT
- Thomas Sorber (knee) - OUT
- Nikola Topic (surgical recovery) - OUT
- Jalen Williams (hamstring) - OUT
- Aaron Wiggins (groin) - QUESTIONABLE
- Jaylin Williams (glute) - QUESTIONABLE
Despite the 37-8 record and a league-leading pace in 2026, Oklahoma City is far from full strength. Caruso remains out with an adductor strain after missing Wednesday’s win over Milwaukee.
Hartenstein continues to rehab a soleus injury that’s kept him off the floor since late December. Rookie Ajay Mitchell, who’s been a steady contributor, is also sidelined with an abdominal strain.
Jalen Williams, a key offensive engine and All-Star selection, is dealing with a hamstring injury that will keep him out for at least a couple more weeks. Thomas Sorber, the promising rookie big man, is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Nikola Topic-still waiting for his NBA debut-is recovering from an October surgical procedure.
Wiggins and Jaylin Williams are both questionable, nursing groin and glute injuries, respectively.
What This Means for Friday Night
This game may not feature all the marquee names from their Finals clash, but it still offers plenty of intrigue. The Thunder, even with a depleted roster, have shown remarkable depth and resilience all season.
Their 8-3 start to 2026 is a testament to that. They’ve found ways to win with defense, ball movement, and a system that doesn’t fall apart when a few pieces are missing.
For Indiana, this is a gut-check moment. With Haliburton out, they’ll need a collective effort to generate offense and slow down a Thunder team that can beat you in transition, in the halfcourt, and from deep. The Pacers showed they could hang with OKC back in October-they won that game in double OT-but that was with a much healthier lineup.
Friday night’s rematch may not have the same stakes as last year’s Finals, but it’s a chance for the Pacers to right the ship and for the Thunder to keep proving why they’re the team to beat in the NBA right now.