Ivica Zubac Heads to the Locker Room with Yet Another Ankle Injury

Ivica Zubac is heading back to the locker room with yet another ankle issue on Sunday, because apparently, his lower extremities are currently held together by hope and athletic tape. Underdog NBA reported the early exit, sending a collective groan through the Indiana Pacers fanbase and anyone who trusted the big man on a Sunday slate.

When a guy who averages 13 boards a night leaves the floor early, the entire paint turns into a layup line for the opposition. Zubac has been a walking double-double, posting 12.5 points and 13.0 rebounds per game while serving as the primary anchor for the Indiana frontcourt. He does the exhausting dirty work down low so the rest of the roster can actually function.

"Status alert: Ivica Zubac (ankle) headed to locker room Sunday. (via @UnderdogNBA)"

But the real story here is the ankle itself. A quick glance at his recent medical chart reads like a CVS receipt of lower-body ailments. He dealt with ankle injuries in December, January, February, and March of last season. At this point, his left and right ankles deserve their own separate injury designations.

For the live-betting crowd, an in-game exit from a primary rebounder completely flips the board. The opposing frontcourt suddenly gets a massive upgrade in second-chance opportunities, and anyone holding an over on Zubac's rebounding props is left staring at a ticket that died before halftime. It is the most frustrating way to lose a wager, short of a meaningless half-court heave at the buzzer.

Now we wait for the inevitable postgame update from the medical staff. If this is just a minor tweak, Indiana dodges a massive bullet and can go back to business as usual. If it is a continuation of his chronic ankle saga, the Pacers are going to have to figure out how to protect the rim without the guy who cleans up every mess they make.