Rick Carlisle didn’t try to dress up the reality for the Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton is out, and the earliest anyone should be thinking about a return is two weeks from now.
“Let’s just say two weeks from now, you guys want to ask how he’s doing, that’ll be fine,” Carlisle said, per Joe Vardon, Eric Koreen and James Boyd of The Athletic. “I don’t think it’s realistic that he would play before then.”
That was the latest update after Indiana learned Haliburton would miss multiple weeks because of a hamstring injury, a blow that landed on the same day the Pacers also took a home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a rough Wednesday all around.
Carlisle said Haliburton is staying upbeat through it.
“He has a good feel for this,” Carlisle said. “He’s pretty encouraged that this is not serious.”
The injury interrupts what had been a promising start for Haliburton, who is only a few games removed from returning after sitting out all of last season with the Achilles injury he suffered in the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before this setback, the star point guard had looked a lot like his pre-injury self.
Indiana, meanwhile, is 2-3 after the loss to Philadelphia. The Pacers do have one thing working in their favor: they spent plenty of time last season playing without Haliburton, so this is not unfamiliar territory for the group.
The Pacers’ next game is Sunday at home against the Brooklyn Nets at 5:00 pm ET.
In Other News...
Pacers Bench Gave Indiana Hope In A Loss That Raised Bigger Concerns
Quenton Jackson gave the Pacers a needed lift off the bench in their NBA Cup opener, scoring 24 points in a 145-125 loss to the Heat at Kaseya Center. Indianas reserves actually carried a real bright spot in an otherwise rough night, outscoring Miamis bench 58-35 and getting strong support from Jarace Walker and Kobe Brown, who helped keep the second unit competitive even as the game got away.
Walker finished with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Brown added nine points, six rebounds and four assists, but the bigger picture was harder to ignore. Indianas depth showed up, yet the result still pointed to larger issues the Pacers will need to sort through if they want the rest of their Cup run to look anything like the energy their bench brought in this one. [Read more 🡒]
Andrew Nembhard Is Suddenly Carrying A Pacers Burden That Keeps Growing
Andrew Nembhard has quietly become the Pacers most important stabilizer while Tyrese Haliburton works through a week-to-week hamstring strain, and the numbers from the last two games show just how much has landed on his shoulders. Over that stretch, Nembhard has piled up 40 points and 23 assists, including an 18-point, 14-assist night against the Philadelphia 76ers and a 22-point, 9-assist effort against the Miami Heat.
Rick Carlisle confirmed Haliburtons status and made clear the obvious priority is keeping the healthy bodies on the floor, which only sharpens the spotlight on Nembhards expanded role. For the Pacers, the immediate question is not just whether he can keep producing at this level, but how long they can ask him to keep carrying so much of the offense while one of their key creators remains out. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Coach Explains How Miami Picked Apart Indianas Defense
Miamis offense put Indiana in a bind from the opening stretch, and the final score reflected just how often the Pacers were forced to defend both the rim and the arc at the same time. The Heat rolled to a 145-125 win, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo combining for 58 points while Miami piled up 64 points in the paint and knocked down 18 threes.
Indiana assistant coach Lloyd Pierce pointed to the way Miamis interior pressure created problems throughout the night, then layered on the kind of perimeter shooting that can break a defense open fast. The Heat hit 13 of those three-pointers after halftime, a stretch that made the Pacers chase even more and left little margin for recovery once Miami found its rhythm. [Read more 🡒]