Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Pacers Reportedly Lose Starter to Season-Ending Injury

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sourav Mahanty | Last updated Mar 20, 2026 4:29 PM ET

After coming agonizingly close to winning the NBA championship last year, this has been a season to forget for the Indiana Pacers.

In the absence of Tyrese Haliburton, they were never going to be in contention, and as things stand, the Pacers are sitting at the bottom of the East with a 15-55 record.

Unfortunately for the organization, they seem to have been hit with another long-term injury.

In February, the Pacers acquired Ivica Zubac from the LA Clippers in a trade. But the center was immediately sidelined for about a month due to a left ankle injury that he had picked up while with his previous team.

Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40)Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Zubac made his debut for the Pacers just last week against the Phoenix Suns. So far, he has played just five times for the franchise, but it looks like his season is already done.

According to a report from Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, Zubac has suffered a fractured rib, and he will miss the rest of the season.

"Per league source, Pacers center Ivica Zubac suffered a fractured rib in Wednesday's game against Portland and due to the anticipated healing time will miss the rest of the season," Dopirak reported.

Per league source, Pacers center Ivica Zubac suffered a fractured rib in Wednesday's game against Portland and due to the anticipated healing time will miss the rest of the season.
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) March 20, 2026

The 29-year-old center suffered the injury in the loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

In his five games with the Pacers, Zubac has averaged 11.6 points, 1.8 assists and 7.2 rebounds while getting 23.6 minutes of action per game.

The Pacers are currently on a 15-game losing streak, which is the worst run in the history of the franchise, so Zubac's injury comes at a bad time for Indiana.

Zubac was brought in to be the long-term solution at center, but his injury issues might have fans worried already.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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