Nets beat Pacers by losing in epic tank-off

But even with Indiana holding out five of its best players, the Pacers outscored the Nets 31-20 in the final quarter, largely playing two rookies drafted in the second-round, little-used guard Kobe Brown and Micah Potter, an undrafted center who played just 64 games in his first four NBA seasons.

Potter came through big with 10 fourth-quarter points to set up the heroics from Jones, the No. 38 pick in the 2025 draft playing in his 18th NBA game.

It was the only three-pointer Jones made in four attempts, getting immediate redemption for a bad turnover (his fourth) leading to a game-tying layup for the Nets. It was great for Jones, bad for his team long-term.

Pacers' overall talent is dangerous for their draft plans

The Nets want to be bad because they owe a pick swap to the Houston Rockets for 2027. The last time they owed Houston a pick swap, it turned into the No. 3 pick in 2024, guard Reed Sheppard.

For the Pacers, their 2026 draft is more tenuous. When they traded for Zubac, they sent the Los Angeles Clippers their 2026 first-round pick, protected for picks 1-4 and 10-30. After winning their last two games, the Pacers' odds of getting a top-4 pick dropped from 52.1 percent to 48.1 percent. If they move ahead of the Nets in the standings, those odds drop to 42.1 percent.

Unfortunately, the Pacers can't rest Zubac forever. Tyrese Haliburton is out for the season, but three-fifths of their NBA Finals starting lineup is healthy and they added an All-Defensive center in Zubac. Plus, reserves like Potter (19 points) and undrafted rookie Ethan Thompson (15 points) showed they can score — at least against other tanking teams.

The 2025-26 season has become an intense race to the bottom for at least seven NBA teams. It's also given unheralded players like Jones an unexpected chance to shine.