Overview
- The Pacers listed T.J. McConnell with a right hamstring strain and he has missed consecutive games, removing a primary reserve for point‑guard minutes.
- Coach Rick Carlisle confirmed Aaron Nesmith has been cleared to play after a left hamstring issue and was available for the team’s second game.
- Ben Sheppard suffered a torn left meniscus and will be sidelined for an undefined period with Carlisle calling his absence “a little bit.”
- Indiana is covering McConnell’s minutes by relying on Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard to handle playmaking and using reserve guard Quenton Jackson for bench minutes.
- McConnell is 34 and missed 26 games last season with hamstring trouble, a history that raises durability concerns for the Pacers and could increase minutes and wear on Haliburton, Nembhard and other rotation players.