The NBA trade deadline is still three months away, but the injury-hit Indiana Pacers might have to make some moves sooner rather than later.
Indiana’s injury list keeps getting longer as they prepare to face the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Dallas had a comfortable win on Sunday, resting its starters for most of the fourth quarter after leading by as much as 33 points in a 108-85 victory against the Orlando Magic.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic scored 25 points in the first half and finished with 32, along with nine rebounds and seven assists in just 32 minutes of play.
“Today was real fun,” Doncic said. “We were guarding everybody, defending, rebounding and playing with a lot of pace. So that’s fun for me.”
Indiana is trying to bounce back after losing 125-118 to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith left the game with a left ankle sprain, and center Isaiah Jackson had to exit due to injury.
Nesmith has been ruled out for Monday’s game, and Jackson will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a torn right Achilles tendon.
The Pacers might also play against the Mavericks without guard Andrew Nembhard, who is struggling with knee tendinitis.
Isaiah Jackson, who averages 7.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game, is the second Pacers center to suffer a torn Achilles tendon this season. James Wiseman tore his Achilles during the season opener against the Detroit Pistons.
Indiana’s lack of depth in the frontcourt was a problem in their loss to New Orleans, where Pelicans star Zion Williamson scored 34 points on 14-of-20 shooting.
“The game had a lot of good stretches for us, but we weren’t able to sustain those good stretches,” said Indiana coach Rick Carlisle. “Rebounding was a problem again. We struggled with Williamson and (Brandon) Ingram, and it cost us.”
One positive note was Ben Sheppard’s performance, as he made six 3-pointers and led the Pacers with 20 points. The second-year guard likely deserves a bigger role in Carlisle’s lineup.
“He’s just been very consistent,” Carlisle said. “If you look at the plus-minus every night, he’s usually a plus because of how hard he plays. He plays within our system and takes the right shots. Defensively he really works hard out there. And he’s one of our better rebounders, and that helps us too.”
Carlisle coached the Mavericks to their only NBA championship in 2011 when they defeated the Miami Heat in six games.
Dallas guard Klay Thompson is adjusting to his new team after 11 seasons with the Golden State Warriors. Thompson scored nine points on 4-of-10 shooting in Sunday’s win over Orlando, but Mavericks coach Jason Kidd was happy with his performance.
“I thought he played a great game,” Kidd said. “I know we look at him for scoring and shooting threes, but I thought his play-making and energy were high. He was moving on both ends at a very high level. I thought his defense was really good.”
Dallas also saw a strong performance from forward Daniel Gafford, who scored a season-high 18 points. Center Dereck Lively II contributed with 11 points and 11 rebounds, helping Dallas win four of their first six games.
