The Indiana Pacers fell to the Atlanta Hawks 132-123 Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 29 off the bench for Atlanta, which swept the season series. Trae Young had 14 points and 16 assists, and Clint Capela contributed 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Hawks. The Pacers were led by Buddy Hield’s 26 points, and Tyrese Haliburton had 25 points and 13 assists. The Blue and Gold had the league-minimum eight players available and have lost four in a row. The Pacers are back at home Wednesday to host the Denver Nuggets.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner will not return for the final six games of the season. Turner has been out since January 14th with a stress reaction in his foot. The 6-foot-11 center played in just 42 games this season, and averaged 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and nearly three blocks per game. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Turner made good progress in recovery, but that the team and Turner’s representatives decided it did not make sense to push for a return with the Pacers out of playoff contention.
The Indianapolis Colts hired former NFL head coach John Fox as a senior defensive assistant. Fox was most recently the head coach of the Bears from 2015 to 2017, but also had stints with the Broncos and Panthers, including two Super Bowl appearances. The 67-year-old joins a staff led by new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
Purdue guard Isaiah Thompson announced on Instagram he has entered the NCAA transfer portal and will not return to the Boilermakers after three seasons. The 6-foot-1 Thompson averaged 4.2 points per game and started in 20 of Purdue’s 37 games, but lost his starting spot midway through the season. In three seasons in West Lafayette, the Zionsville High School grad played in 96 total games and averaged 4.6 points per contest.
