Pacers Lose Four Straight as Injuries Mount

Indiana’s second week ended with four losses and a growing injury list. Tyrese Haliburton was ruled out for at least two weeks with a mild hamstring strain, while coach Rick Carlisle said Ben Sheppard had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and that he was unsure whether Sheppard would play again this season. Obi Toppin also missed a game after a back problem flared up.

The Pacers lost 114-109 to Philadelphia, then fell 145-125 to Miami and 98-90 to Brooklyn. Their toughest test came against Atlanta, when injuries left Indiana with only six available players after Kelly Oubre Jr. hurt his knee shortly before tipoff. The Pacers lost 108-104 despite playing with what the report called a gritty effort.

Rookie guard Braden Smith made his first career start against Atlanta, finishing with 19 points and 10 assists in 42 minutes. Andrew Nembhard led Indiana in scoring across three games, averaging 21 points, while the team ranked 10th in steals for the week, at 8.3 per game.

Indiana’s free-throw shooting improved to 77.4%, 15th in the league, and the team ranked third in personal fouls drawn. But without Haliburton, the Pacers fell from third to 21st in assists and averaged 16 turnovers per game. They finished the week with the league’s seventh-worst offense, 10th-worst defense and eighth-worst net rating.