National Basketball Association

Pacers' Roy Hibbert to sit out against Knicks

Published Mar. 4, 2015 5:42 p.m. ET

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Pacers center Roy Hibbert will not play Wednesday night against New York.

Coach Frank Vogel says he's giving the two-time All-Star extra rest during a week in which Indiana plays only one game in four days. Vogel says Hibbert is not injured and should start Friday night.

Ian Mahinmi will replace Hibbert with Lavoy Allen moving into the backup role.

Indiana (25-34) has won two straight and has pulled within a half-game of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

Vogel would not say whether Paul George, Indiana's other two-time All-Star, could return the mid-March date George has established as his goal. The Pacers top player returned to practice last week and has gone through three or four full workouts but still has hurdles to clear, Vogel says.