Pacers’ Nembhard week-to-week after injury

LAS VEGAS – Pacers point guard Andrew Nembhard has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his right knee and will be evaluated week to week, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in his pre-game press conference Saturday. He was already ruled out for the In-Season Tournament final against the Lakers and will miss the Pacers' upcoming four-game road trip.

However, the diagnosis was ultimately good news for the Pacers because their initial concern was that it would be something much worse. Nembhard's knee appeared to hyperextend, which puts tendons and ligaments in danger of being torn. All of those apparently survived intact, and Carlisle said the Pacers have every reason to expect that he'll be back in the not too distant future.

"He will not play certainly for the next seven days and we'll see it and evaluate it and go from there, but it is not viewed as a long-term thing," Carlisle said. "Very luckily, very fortunately, but we'll miss him today."

Nembhard is averaging 7.0 points and 4.1 assists this season after nearly making the All-Rookie team last season.

The former second-round pick is one of the Pacers' toughest and most versatile defenders, so his absence is costly against the Lakers. When the Pacers beat the Lakers in Los Angeles in November of 2022, Nembhard defended LeBron James extensively and helped hold him to 21 points on 8 of 22 shooting. He also knocked down the game-winning shot with James rushing to try to close him out.

Nembhard's absence means more minutes for veteran T.J. McConnell, who was told when the season began that his minutes would be cut, but has responded by being one of the Pacers' most efficient players. He's averaging 7.4 points and 4.2 assists per game in just 14.3 minutes per game.