20Breakdown
NewsPowered by
Powered by
26. Februar 2026
Entering starting five
Toppin will start Thursday's game against Charlotte, Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com reports.
Analyse
Toppin will draw the start in his first action since Oct. 26. It's not quite clear how much he'll play while on a minutes limit, so there should still be plenty of opportunities off the bench for Kobe Brown and Micah Potter.
26. Februar 2026
Set for return
Toppin (foot) is available to play and will be on a minutes restriction for Thursday's game against the Hornets, Jeremiah Johnson of FanDuel Sports Network Indiana reports.
Analyse
Toppin will play in his first game since Oct. 26 after gaining clearance to take the court Thursday night. Coach Rick Carlisle stated before the game that Toppin will be on a minutes limit Thursday and likely for the remainder of the season to ensure his health. The forward averaged 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals over his first three games of the campaign before going down with a right foot stress reaction that needed to be addressed by undergoing surgery.
25. Februar 2026
Could return Thursday
Toppin (foot) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Hornets.
Analyse
The news comes as somewhat of a surprise, given that head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters Feb. 17 that it would be "a while" before Toppin returns to game action, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. It appears as though Toppin is progressing nicely from a procedure he underwent in late October for a right foot stress reaction and has a chance to return Thursday in what would be his first regular-season game since Oct. 26 against the Timberwolves. He averaged 27.3 minutes per game across three regular-season appearances, but he would likely operate under a minutes restriction once he's cleared to return to NBA action.