The Indiana Pacers will play their 21st game against the season on Sunday. They will go on the road to face the Memphis Grizzlies. It will be their first game of the month, and they will welcome back one of their more significant players, guard Andrew Nembhard.
Nembhard will make his way back to the lineup against the Grizzlies.
He will play limited minutes.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said that Nembhard will start but will be limited. As far as the details are concerned, Carlisle didn’t go any further than that.
Nembhard will return to game action after a 12-matchup absence streak due to left knee inflammation. In seven regular-season appearances (all starts), the 24-year-old has averaged 7.3 points, 4.7 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 steals across 26.6 minutes per game.
Although the Pacers will have Nembhard back, they will continue to be without Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard. Carlisle said that they are both still “weeks away.”
Nesmith has been sidelined since spraining his left ankle against the Pelicans on Nov. 1. He is expected to return to action in December, though he will have to wait until at least Tuesday’s game against Toronto to see the court. If all goes well, he should be back for the next game.
An MRI showed that Sheppard’s oblique injury was severe. Carlisle didn’t provide any other significant update on the young guard from Atlanta.
The other two on the Pacers’ injury list are front-court players Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman. Both suffered torn Achilles in the first game of the season. The Pacers are thin at the center position.
The Pacers will look to start a winning streak on Sunday, but it won’t be easy as they’ll face a tough Grizzlies team. However, it will be a bit easier as they will be with their top rookie, Zach Edey, who is dealing with an ankle issue.
The Grizzlies selected Edey in the 2024 NBA Draft with the No. 9 overall pick from Purdue University.
The Pacers are underdogs in this match with a +6.5 spread. This is the Pacers’ first match against the Grizzlies and the only one in Memphis. The next time they will see each other will be in late February when the Grizzlies head to Indiana.
The Pacers will look for their 10th win of the season and their third on the road. Indiana is a poor road team with a 2-8 record prior to Siunday’s match.
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