Oct 7, 2022; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) takes warmups prior to the game against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Myles Turner injures ankle during pre-game warmups, expected to miss a few games for Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner sprained his left ankle during warmups before the Pacers opening night loss against the Washington Wizards and will miss time, Turner said on Thursday.
"It's unfortunate man. Definitely not the way you want to start the season off," he shared. Turner played during the preseason but hasn't participated in a regular season game since January 14 — he was held out for Indiana's final 39 games of 2021-22 due to a stress reaction in his left foot.
"I worked my ass off to get this point to come out here and play, especially in front of the home fans. It's a freak accident," Turner said. The ankle that he injured on Wednesday was the same side of his body as his foot injury last season, but Turner is thankful that there are no foot issues this time around.
Turner walked out of the tunnel for his pregame warmup at about 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday and was getting shots up while working with assistant coach Lloyd Pierce. He even stopped to chat with rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin.
Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin preparing for the Indiana Pacers opening night game against the Washington Wizards on October 19, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Tony East-AllPacers
Less than 15 minutes later, bad luck struck as Turner injured his ankle while getting prepared for the game. "I was just going through my warmups and I stepped on someone's foot. I didn't see who it was," Turner said. He exited the court before trying to walk off the injury and returning to the floor, but the injury was too much and he was unable to play.
It was an emotional night for Turner. He had been hoping to return for regular season action, and some of his family was in town for the Pacers home opener. Now, his return is delayed.
The Pacers identified the ankle sprain and have determined that it will cause Turner to miss time. He will not play for the Pacers this weekend when they have a back-to-back at home agaist San Antonio and Detroit, but he could return to the hardwood on Indiana's upcoming road trip.
The blue and gold play five consecutive games on the road beginning next Monday, and the trip spans eight days. Turner is hopeful he can play in game action during that trip.
"From what I've been told, I've got to listen to my medical staff, they're telling me they would rather be cautious with it. The road trip is the goal," the center said.
Indiana's defense struggled without their anchor on Wednesday — Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has called Turner the best rim protector in the league on more than one occasion. The team will contnue to scramble on defense without Turner for the next few games.
In the meantime, the Pacers project to start Jalen Smith at center in Turner's absence. Smith started at the power forward spot during preseason play, but he played the five for Indiana last season, so he can fit in at the position just fine.
"I know the rotations, I know the plays," Smith said on Thursday. He had 16 points and eight rebounds on Wednesday.
With Smith sliding up a position, Terry Taylor started at power forward on opening night. Taylor had an impressive camp, and he defended ably against Washington while scoring eight points.
While the Pacers have plenty of frontcourt depth to fill Turner's minutes, they can't replace his impact on or off the court. "Myles is definitely our defensive anchor for our team," Smith said. Indiana will have to figure out how to get by without that defensive impact going forward.
The Pacers play the 76ers, Bulls, Wizards, and Nets on their upcoming road trip. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported that Turner will miss at least a week.
Indiana is 0-1 and will hope to grab their first wins of the season without Myles Turner over the weekend.
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