Toppin continues to play big role for Pacers in NBA Finals

In a one-minute span with under five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Toppin grabbed a defensive rebound, soared to the hoop for a putback slam after a missed shot by Tyrese Haliburton and then blocked a shot on the other end.

“It felt good,” Toppin told reporters on Thursday. “The crowd was going crazy, so the energy was definitely there. I just knew as soon as Tyrese put the floater up it was going to be a perfect miss. I had to creep in there and get that putback dunk.”

Damon Durbin, the Dayton fan who has followed Toppin’s every move in the NBA from the start five years ago, wrote on X (Twitter) that it wasn’t the perfect game for Toppin because he was 0-of-3 from 3-point range and had some “shaky defensive moments” but also wrote “he was a game-high +18 and had an insane putback/block sequence to seal it. He’s been a huge part of both Pacers Finals wins.”

Toppin scored 17 points in Friday night’s Game 4, which saw Oklahoma City tie the series at 2-2. In more than 28 minutes of action, Toppin added seven rebounds as well as an assist, a steal and a block.

Game 5 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Monday on ABC.

Toppin scored 17 points in Game 1 and three in Game 2. He’s averaging 9.3 points in the series. He’s one of eight Pacers averaging at least 9.0 points. He ranks sixth on the team in minutes (24.3) after ranking seventh in the regular season (19.6).

Toppin leads the Pacers in the plus-minus stat in the NBA Finals. The Pacers have outscored the Thunder by an average of 7.3 points per game when Toppin has been on the court. No one else on the roster has a plus-minus higher than 2.7.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

“My role has been the same,” Toppin said. “Just come in and do whatever I can to help the team win. I don’t really look at minutes. I just try, with the opportunities that I get, to come in and make an impact on the game, whether that’s on offense or defense.”

Toppin’s play has drawn plenty of praise. The Athletic ran a story Thursday under the headline, “Obi Toppin’s energy, high-flying feats help Pacers knock off Thunder in Game 3.”

On The Bill Simmons Podcast, one of the most popular NBA podcasts, Simmons said after Game 3, “Toppin was the revelation for me because there’s been times in the playoffs where he looks unplayable, and then there’s other times in the playoffs where you go, ‘Wow, I can’t believe the Knicks just gave him away,’ because they did.”

Toppin was the consensus national player of the year for Dayton in 2020. The Knicks drafted him eighth overall that same year. He spent three seasons in his hometown before being traded to the Pacers in July 2023 for two future second-round picks.

Toppin’s Pacers teammate, guard Bennedict Mathurin, said Toppin has been great in the playoffs.

“I wouldn’t expect less of him,” Mathurin told reporters after the game Wednesday. “He’s a source of energy. He’s always smiling. He has a contagious energy. Him coming into the game and bringing whatever it is — defense, offense, you know, it’s always great to have."