Cade Cunningham, Andrew Nembhard Land on Injury Report Ahead of Pacers vs Pistons Clash

Friday is a must-win NBA Cup clash for Indiana.

Oct 23, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles defended by Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff the Detroit Pistons had been riding high for much of the early portion of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Detroit's luck has taken a turn for the worse in recent days, however. The Pistons have gone 1-4 in their last five contests, including losses to the lowly Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets. Never expected to contend for a playoff or even play-in slot heading into the year, Detroit had been right there. At 8-12, the team is currently the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference, but just 1.5 games behind the No. 7-seeded Indiana Pacers (9-10), Friday night's competition.

The Pacers are currently on a three-game win streak, albeit all against sub-.500 competition (the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers). Still, as Detroit has proved, it's important to win against whomever is in front of you.

Friday night's encounters stands as a must-win Emirates NBA Cup clash for Indiana, which has gone 0-2 in the group play stage. The Milwaukee Bucks (3-0) and Pistons (2-0) lead East Group B. The Miami Heat are 1-2, while the 0-2 Toronto Raptors have already been eliminated. Indiana remains technically alive, though the club could get eliminated even if it does eke out a win against the slumping Pistons.

Per the league's PR team, the Pacers (now competing for a wildcard berth, since they can't catch the 3-0 Bucks in their own group) could also be eliminated from NBA Cup competition if the Atlanta Hawks win their East Group C clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers, or if both the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic win their respective East Group A clashes, against the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets, respectively.

Now, Indiana may have some injury luck on its side for once this season.

Two Pistons starters, point guard Cade Cunningham (left sacroiliac joint sprain) and power forward Tobias Harris (left hip impingement), have been listed as questionable to suit up for the game's 5 p.m. tipoff, according to the NBA's most recent injury report. Two-way players Daniss Jenkins and Alondes Williams are with Detroit's G League affiliate, while the Pistons' third two-way player, forward Cole Swider, is merely questionable. Forward Bobi Klintman is out with a right calf contusion.

The Pacers will once again be without starting wings Andrew Nembhard (left knee patellofemoral inflammation) and Aaron Nesmith (left ankle sprain). Indiana back-up centers Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman remain shelved with their Achilles tendon tears. Pacers reserve guard Ben Sheppard, who had enjoyed a minutes gain after Nesmith and Nembhard went down, is now out for multiple weeks with a left oblique strain of his own. Two-way player Tristen Newton is questionable.

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