Ivica Zubac's Ankle Injury Derails His Monster Start to the Season

Ivica Zubac is officially done for Sunday's game against the Brooklyn Nets after rolling his ankle on Kelly Oubre's foot, turning a promising start to the season into an immediate headache for the Indiana Pacers.

The big man tried to tough it out for a few possessions before waving the white flag and limping back to the locker room. If you were holding a Zubac double-double ticket or relying on him to anchor your fantasy rebounding category this week, that early exit sound you hear is your money evaporating.

"Status alert: Ivica Zubac (ankle) won't return Sunday."

This is a brutal momentum killer for a guy who was eating glass to start the year. Zubac opened the season with a massive 16-point, 15-rebound performance against the New Orleans Pelicans, followed by an 11-rebound night against the Dallas Mavericks. He was finally looking like the perfect traditional center fit to anchor Tyrese Haliburton's track-meet offense.

Now, the Pacers have to dig into the emergency big-man committee. Relying on a rotation of Larry Nance, Jay Huff, and Obi Toppin to protect the rim is like trying to patch a leaky submarine with wet paper towels. It might look okay for a minute, but the math is going to catch up to you fast.

Zubac has a frustrating history of lower-body issues, including multiple ankle sprains that derailed his 2025-26 campaign. Indiana will likely send him for imaging on Monday to figure out if this is a day-to-day tweak or a multi-week absence. Until then, expect the Pacers to play even faster and smaller, which should send opposing centers' rebound props straight to the moon.