The Pacers head into Memphis carrying a five-game skid, but their injury report is starting to look a little less crowded. That matters tonight, because the Grizzlies have come out of the gate at 6-1 and have done it with a roster that has surprised plenty of people.
Indiana’s trip opens against a Memphis group that has leaned on depth, strong play from Ty Jerome and a buy-in to Tuomas Iisalo’s system. The Pacers, meanwhile, have been trying to survive a rough start while piecing together a rotation that has been hit hard by injuries.
One of the biggest questions is whether Ivica Zubac can make it back. After sitting out the last five games with an ankle sprain, he has been upgraded from out to questionable. Indiana has lost all five of those games, which only sharpens the point: Zubac matters a lot, and the Pacers’ backup center options have not been able to replace what he brings.
If he does return, the matchup with Zach Edey should be one of the night’s most physical battles. Braden Smith’s former teammate gives this game a heavyweight feel inside, though Zubac is expected to be on a minutes restriction as he works back into action.
Isaiah Stewart adds another layer to the frontcourt fight. He has already given Indiana trouble before, and he’s bringing real juice on both ends.
Stewart is hitting 8-14 from three on the season, good for 57%, and has logged about 19 minutes per game. That leaves Carlisle with a decision: use Huff or Nance on him, or go smaller with Toppin at the five if he’s healthy enough to play.
The forward matchup is just as intriguing. Last season, Cameron Boozer was a name tied to Indiana when the Pacers were sitting in top-four draft range, but the lottery pushed that idea off the table.
Boozer has been excellent this season anyway, putting up 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and nearly a block per game in about 32 minutes. The shooting line is uneven - 38.5% from the field - but he’s making 37.2% of his threes and 94.4% of his free throws.
Across from him is Pascal Siakam, who is averaging 21 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He’s still shooting 50% from the field, but a rough 0-10 stretch from deep last week dragged his three-point mark down from over 50% to 28.6%.
That sets up the first head-to-head meeting between Boozer and Siakam, a matchup that had once been discussed in terms of what Boozer might have meant for Indiana had the draft lottery gone differently.
Jerome is the other major storyline, and this one has a bit of history behind it. During Indiana’s 2025 NBA playoff run, his chances of re-signing with the Cavaliers faded after the Pacers played him out of the rotation by Game 5.
He struggled to score and his defense slipped badly. That opened the door for Memphis to sign him to a much cheaper deal than he had expected after his strong regular season in 2024-25.
He missed most of last season with injuries, appearing in just 15 games for the Grizzlies, but he has been rolling this year. Jerome is shooting 50.4% from the field, 42.1% from three and 88.6% at the line while averaging 28.2 points, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals. He already has two 40-point games and is doing all of it in about 30 minutes a night.
That puts a lot on Andrew Nembhard, who will be the primary defender on Jerome. Nembhard has a reputation as one of the league’s better guard defenders, and Portland already showed one way to bother Jerome by holding him to 10 points on 3-12 shooting earlier this season. Indiana will need something similar if it wants to slow down Memphis’ engine.
The game can be watched on the Pacers Streaming service of DAZN or on NBA League Pass. The radio call will be on 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan and also on NBA League Pass.
In Other News...
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Jalen Slawson, Kobe Brown and Braden Smith are among the names expected to spend most of their time with the Boom while still making occasional appearances for Indiana. For a Pacers team trying to stay afloat now while also building for what comes next, the G League program is no longer just a developmental side note. It is becoming a real pipeline, and what happens in Noblesville could matter more than fans might realize. [Read more 🡒]
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The concern is that his overall production still comes with uneven stretches, and his shooting numbers are sitting at career lows. For a Pacers team leaning on depth in a difficult year, that kind of inconsistency makes Walker's place in the rotation feel less secure than it should be, especially with expectations around his growth only getting sharper from here. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Nesmith Is Becoming Crucial To Pacers Again
Aaron Nesmith is starting to look like one of the Pacers most important pieces again, and that matters for a team that leans on spacing, pace and versatility. Known for his shooting and defense, he has long fit the mold of the modern role player Indiana needs around its core, and his recent clutch three-pointer in a win over Memphis was another reminder of how quickly he can swing a game without dominating the ball.
The bigger question has been whether he can keep building on that after working back from a hamstring injury. For Indiana, having Nesmith available and effective changes the way the rotation functions on both ends, especially when the margins get tight and every reliable wing matters. [Read more 🡒]