The NBA trade deadline is still three months away, but the injury-plagued Indiana Pacers might need to explore their options sooner rather than later.
Indiana’s injury list continues to grow as they prepare to face the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Dallas, meanwhile, was able to rest its starters for much of the fourth quarter on Sunday, leading by as many as 33 points in a 108-85 win over the visiting 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 32 minutes.
The Pacers will look to regroup after a 125-118 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. During that game, forward Aaron Nesmith (left ankle sprain) and center Isaiah Jackson exited due to injuries.
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.
Additionally, the Pacers may be without guard Andrew Nembhard, who is dealing with knee tendinitis.
Jackson, who is averaging 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 in the season opener against the Detroit Pistons.
Indiana’s lack of depth in the frontcourt was evident in the loss to New Orleans, where Pelicans star Zion Williamson scored 34 points on 14-of-20 shooting. A bright spot for the Pacers was the play of Ben Sheppard, who made six 3-pointers and led the team with 20 points. The second-year guard has likely earned a larger role in coach Rick Carlisle’s rotation.
Carlisle, who coached Dallas to its only NBA championship in 2011, will face his former team once again. Dallas guard Klay Thompson is settling in with his new team after 11 seasons with the Golden State Warriors.
Thompson was held to nine points on 4-of-10 shooting in Sunday’s win over Orlando, but Mavericks coach Jason Kidd was pleased with his performance.
Dallas also saw a strong outing from forward Daniel Gafford, who scored a season-high 18 points.
Center Dereck Lively II added 11 points and 11 rebounds as Dallas secured its fourth win in six games.
