Key Highlights
- The Indiana Pacers started the 2025-26 season with two consecutive losses.
- The team faced numerous injuries, notably losing their top three point guards in the first two games.
- Pacers leading scorer Bennedict Mathurin scored a franchise-record 26 points before exiting with an injury.
- Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward had a standout performance, scoring 27 points in his third career game.
Injuries Plague Pacers at the Start of Season
The Indiana Pacers began their 2025-26 season with a tumultuous lineup as injuries piled up almost immediately. Head coach Rick Carlisle lamented, “The second quarter we became undisciplined, we made mistakes. I don’t know what the shooting was in that quarter, but it couldn’t have been good.”
Starting point guard Andrew Nembhard suffered a shoulder strain and was unavailable for Saturday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, joining Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Quenton Jackson, and Kam Jones on the injured list.
Pacers Struggle Despite Mathurin’s Effort
Despite the adversity, the Pacers kept competing. Leading scorer Bennedict Mathurin scored a team-high 26 points in as many minutes before exiting with a foot injury in the third quarter. He went 8-for-12 from the field and 8-for-9 from the free throw line.
Second-year guard Johnny Furphy also injured his foot during second overtime, leaving the Pacers short-handed at the backcourt. The team’s struggle was evident as they managed only a 35 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc against the Grizzlies’ 38.5 percent mark.
Memphis Grizzlies Dominate Indiana
The Memphis Grizzlies showcased their strength, led by rookie forward Cedric Coward who scored a game-high 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 6-for-6 from beyond the arc. Ja Morant added 19 points and eight assists.
Memphis outscored Indiana in the paint 56-36 and controlled the pace of the game, especially after a dominant opening quarter that saw them take a 23-21 lead over the Pacers. Despite trailing by as many as 18 points early in the third quarter, the Grizzlies pulled away with a decisive performance.
Upcoming Challenges for Pacers
The Indiana Pacers will continue their road trip on Sunday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves and then play four games at home starting Friday against Atlanta. The team faces significant challenges as they try to navigate an injury-ridden roster and find solutions to their current struggles.
Coach Carlisle expressed determination, “We’ve just got to focus on what we have and not what we don’t have. We’ve all got to be solution-based thinkers, everybody from me to all of our two-way players. It’s a tough situation, but there’s opportunity here and we’ve got to find it.”
The Indiana Pacers will need to find ways to stay competitive despite the absence of key players as they look to turn their season around in the coming weeks.
