The injuries are piling up around the league and the Pacers added another player to their own growing list: Ivica Zubac, who left the Pacers game against the Nets in the first half with a sprained left ankle.
The injury happened on a rebound where Kelly Oubre and Zubac both went for the ball and the center landed on Oubre’s foot. Rick Carlisle told media after the game that X-Rays on his ankle came back negative but there’s already swelling and it’s unlikely that he’ll play tomorrow in Milwaukee.
“Hopefully it’ll be a day-to-day thing, but you never know,” Carlisle said after the game according to Circle City Spin. “Maybe he’ll feel a lot better in the morning. It’s hard to say. I think it’s probably unlikely. But I talked to him after the game and he said, ‘I’ll be alright.’”
The same ankle is what caused Zubac to miss a lot of games both before and after he was acquired in a trade by the Pacers last season; the team will be hoping it’s more mild than last year so he can continue to gain chemistry on the court with his new teammates in a new system.
Jay Huff started the second half for the Pacers in place Zu and played well finishing with 12 points and 3 blocks, contributing in the ways you would hope to see: 3s, rim protection, and reverse dunks. Both Huff and Larry Nance are in line for bigger roles while Zubac’s ankle heals.
Elsewhere with the Pacers injury updates: Ben Sheppard’s left meniscus tear will keep him out for weeks and TJ McConnell is still out without much of a timeline with a hamstring strain while Johnny Furphy is also out as he continues to rehab his ACL injury.
Tyrese Haliburton did say after the game that he intends on playing tomorrow in his first back-to-back opportunity since returning from injury. He’s always eager to play in his home state of Wisconsin against the Milwaukee Bucks.
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