INDIANAPOLIS — Pacers center Myles Turner is out for Monday’s 7 p.m. game against the Clippers but All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton will be available, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in his pre-game press conference. Both players were listed as questionable in the injury report on Monday.
Haliburton suffered a left knee contusion in a collision with Wizards wing Bilal Coulibaly on Friday night and he missed Saturday’s game with Timberwolves. Turner hasn’t missed any time yet, but he has a sore bilateral hamstring. Carlisle said the injury didn’t come up until Monday afternoon.
Haliburton leads the Pacers in scoring and assists with 25.7 points and 12.0 assists per game, a figure that leads the NBA. Turner is the Pacers’ second-leading scorer with 16.9 points per game, leading rebounder with 7.8 per game and leading shot blocker with 2.1 per game.
Guard Andrew Nembhard and center Jalen Smith remain out with knee bone bruises. Smith has been out since suffering the injury on Nov. 27. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has said he’s making progress, but hasn’t had a timetable for his return. Nembhard has been out since injuring his knee against the Bucks on Dec. 7. Carlisle said his injury is week-to-week, and he was expected to at least miss every game through Saturday.
So obviously, with Turner and Smith are already out, that means the Pacers will be starting their third string center against a Clippers team that has won seven straight games after an 8-10 start.
It’s worth noting that the Pacers’ third-string center has had plenty of work this season and have been productive. Isaiah Jackson is averaging 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in just 14.2 minutes per game while shooting 68.6% from the floor.
There will be a depth issue with Turner out, especially because the Pacers assigned rookies Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard to the Mad Ants on Monday with the G League Winter Showcase beginning Tuesday in Orlando. with Turner and Smith are both out and Walker in Orlando, power forward Obi Toppin would likely have to be the backup center behind Jackson, and the Pacers might have to give minutes to recently-signed veteran James Johnson Jr.. That’s significant because Jackson averages a team high 7.6 fouls per 36 minutes.
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