Indiana’s injury troubles continue as Bennedict Mathurin goes down with turf toe, leaving the Pacers severely short-handed at guard just two games into the season.
The Indiana Pacers are just two games into the regular season and the hits keep coming.
They entered Saturday’s game in Memphis with six players on the injury report, then two more players were added after leaving the game early.
First, two-way guard Taelon Peter and then starting guard Bennedict Mathurin, who has led them in scoring in each of the first two games.
On their first possession of the second half, Mathurin got tripped up on a drive to the basket — and he immediately reached for his right toe. He then walked to the free-throw line and bent down to feel his foot again.
Jarace Walker went to the scorer’s table, but Mathurin made both free throws and stayed in.
Mathurin made a 3-pointer on the next possession, a 19-foot jumper, and then another triple. He scored their first 10 points to begin the second half, then assisted on a 3-pointer from Ben Sheppard, to help the Pacers trim their deficit to three, 68-65.
Mathurin was subbed out with 3:30 to play in the third quarter, went back to the locker room trailed by head athletic trainer Josh Corbeil, and neither one of them returned to the bench the rest of the game.
The Pacers dropped to 0-2 after a 128-103 loss — and it’s a quick turnaround with another game on Sunday, less than 24 hours later. They will tip off inside Target Center at 7 p.m. ET. It is the Timberwolves’ home opener.
They’ll have 11 players available — four of them centers.
It’s a brutal start for a Pacers team with playoff expectations and little early continuity.
Mathurin is scheduled to undergo tests, but he’s going to miss time with this injury — which is most commonly known as turf toe. It’s a painful injury. The best-case scenario is that it’s a Grade I.
Now it’s on the active players to keep their focus on the game and who is available, rather than the players who are out. They will have to adapt, primarily with many players sharing in ball-handing responsibilities. Sheppard isn’t on the injury report, but even he isn’t 100% after dealing with a calf strain injury suffered before training camp.
With two-way guard Quenton Jackson being upgraded to probable, it gives the Pacers another option at guard to get them organized. The team leans on its point guards heavily to not just get them into the right play and take advantages of defenses, but also to be a reliable point-of-attack defender.
In the meantime, coach Rick Carlisle may have to shout out play calls more often.
The Pacers’ front office will soon have a hardship exception available. That requires four players to miss at least three games. Sunday’s game in Minneapolis is game No. 3.
And, those players have to be out a minimum of two weeks. That’s Haliburton, Jones, McConnell, and likely Mathurin. Nembhard is possible too.
A hardship exception, which Fever fans became all too familiar with, helps to provide short-term relief for a team trying to stay above water.
Following tonight’s game, Indiana’s three-game road trip concludes Wednesday in Dallas against the Mavericks — and Carlisle turns 66 years old on Monday.
Then, they’re back home for their next four games.
In the short term, they’ll need to simplify their approach, have everyone contribute a little more, and make sharper decisions given the lack of lineup chemistry.
Full list of injuries, in order of occurrence:
- Tyrese Haliburton — right Achilles rehab
- Kam Jones — low back stress reaction (out until mid-November)
- T.J. McConnell — left hamstring strain (out until mid-November)
- Quenton Jackson* — right hamstring strain
- Johnny Furphy — sore left foot
- Andrew Nembhard — left shoulder strain
- Taelon Peter* — right groin strain
- Bennedict Mathurin — right great big toe strain
* two-way contract
Scott Agness is the longest-tenured Pacers beat reporter. He enters his 14th season covering the team and he's been around The Fieldhouse since 2003. He runs Fieldhouse Files — covering the Pacers, Boom, and Fever — and hosts "The Fieldhouse Files Podcast."