The Indiana Pacers have been on a bit of a cold streak recently, and that trend mostly continued last night. Against the Washington Wizards, who own the worst record in the league, the Pacers stole an overtime victory in a game they probably should not have won. The Pacers played uninspiring basketball and were even down 19 points midway through the third quarter. Regardless, Indiana came away with a win heading into the All-Star break, thanks to an exceptional performance from Obi Toppin.
Toppin scored a team-high 31 points (which is also his Pacers career-high) on 11-for-19 shooting. He also recorded 10 rebounds, two assists, and a block in the win. While he has had a good season overall, this is easily Toppin's best game of the campaign and may be the best game of his Pacers tenure so far.
Ahead of this year's trade deadline, there were some reports suggesting the Pacers may move on from the forward in a deal to shed some salary. Ultimately, the Pacers decided to keep Toppin on the roster instead, which already looks like the right call.
The Pacers were right to not trade Obi Toppin
This type of performance is not usual for Toppin, but it is still an incredibly welcoming sign to know he can rise up to the occasion when needed. The Brooklyn native has improved in every facet of his game since joining the Pacers and is still just 26 years old and has room to continue growing.
This season, he is averaging 10.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists through 50 games off the bench. The Dayton alum also brings good energy to the floor and has a big fan in head coach Rick Carlisle, who spoke about Toppin's importance to the Pacers back in December. Additionally, he praised Toppin's improvement as a defender and rebounder while also lauding his physicality and overall offensive game.
There is still a real chance the Pacers could move on from Toppin in the offseason, especially as they have to make long-term decisions on Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin. However, Toppin is surely making it a little more difficult for the team to decide to trade him this summer. As it stands, though, the Pacers should be happy with their decision to keep the roster intact at the trade deadline and opt to keep Toppin, who has already made a huge impact and helped the team secure a much-needed victory.