The league has ruled. Now, the Pacers must scramble.
With Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson all suspended indefinitely by the NBA, beginning with tonight's game, the Pacers will have just seven healthy players available. Three players (Reggie Miller, Jeff Foster and Anthony Johnson) are on the injured list. Two more (Jonathan Bender and Scot Pollard) were unable to play last night due to injuries. NBA rules require that eight players be in uniform, so it's likely Pollard will dress but be unavailable to play.
How the Pacers adjust to the loss of their top three scorers -- who combine for an average of 62.5 points per game -- remains to be seen. The projected starting lineup has a combined scoring average of 37.2. Of the two players in reserve, one is rookie center John Edwards, an undrafted free agent who has made just two appearances totaling 16 minutes.
Some places have taken the game off the books, olympic has the magic -7 with no team totals