The Indiana Pacers open their home schedule Friday night at 7 p.m. against the Dallas Mavericks, and the spotlight will be squarely on Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It will be Tyrese Haliburton’s first official game back there since Game 6 of the NBA Finals, a moment that has been building all week.
But the injury report is already shaping the feel of the night.
T.J. McConnell has been ruled out again with a right hamstring strain, keeping the Pacers backup point guard sidelined after being out since the start of training camp. There is still no clear timetable for his return.
Aaron Nesmith, who missed Wednesday’s season opener against the Pelicans, has moved from out to questionable with a left hamstring strain. That upgrade usually points toward a return, and if he plays, it would give Indiana an important boost on the wing.
Another new name showed up for the Pacers on Thursday: Ben Sheppard. He left the team’s 123-120 win over New Orleans late in the third quarter and did not come back. He is listed as questionable with knee soreness.
Johnny Furphy remains out as he continues rehabbing the torn ACL he suffered in February against the Toronto Raptors. Some websites have listed him as out for the season, but that is not accurate. The expectation is that he will be healthy around the midway point of the season.
Dallas comes in shorthanded of its own, especially in the front court. Dereck Lively II is still working back from foot surgery from last season, and despite hopes he would be ready for training camp, he remains behind schedule in his rehab.
The Mavericks will also be without Santi Aldama, who the team acquired in the offseason. He is still recovering from an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee that ended his 2025-26 season in March. Coach Dusty May said he has been limited in practice, and the expectation is that he won’t be out too long.
Also ruled out for Dallas are Caleb Martin with a right thumb sprain and Tarik Biberovic with right heel bursitis. Jett Howard is questionable with right calf tightness/soreness.
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The return had a little more edge than just the box score, too. Haliburton was hit with a technical foul after a heated exchange with Derik Queen, who gave New Orleans valuable minutes off the bench with 10 points and 10 rebounds, a reminder that Indianas opener came with both the expected rust and the kind of competitive spark that usually follows its point guard around. [Read more 🡒]