Pacers May Face Grizzlies Without 6 Key Memphis Players Saturday

Oct 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) drives to the basket while Indiana Pacers forward Enrique Freeman (8) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The ailing Indiana Pacers may square off against a Memphis Grizzlies squad missing a similar amount of key cogs on Saturday night.

Per the league's latest injury report, a slew of Indiana guards are slated to join two-time All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton riding pine.

More news: Pacers Cut Ties with Key Guard Despite Major Injury Issues at the Position

Andrew Nembhard, Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle's handpicked replacement for Haliburton to run point, has been ruled out with a strained left shoulder. His backup, T.J. McConnell, is on the shelf with a left hamstring strain. Rookie guard Kam Jones will continue to sit with a lower back stress reaction. Guard Quenton Jackson is also unavailable due to a right hamstring strain. Wing Johnny Furphy, meanwhile, is merely questionable due to a sore left foot.

As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star observes, Memphis is set to play the second night of a back-to-back, having gotten properly annihilated by the Miami Heat. Guards Ja Morant and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who were questionable to suit up against Miami on Friday, managed to play — although it didn't really help.

This has been out for a bit but Ja Morant and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are not on the injury report for tonight's game against the Pacers. They were questionable against the Heat last night but both played. (And the Grizzlies lost by a lot.)

— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) October 25, 2025

Center Zach Edey will miss the fun as he recovers from a left ankle surgery, and big man Brandon Clarke is unavailable thanks to a right knee surgery. Key backup guards Ty Jerome (right calf strain) and Scotty Pippen Jr. (left great toe surgery) are both unavailable. Vince Williams Jr., too, is unavailable due to a right ankle effusion. Santi Aldama is grappling with a sore right knee, but he's just questionable.

More news: Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Provides New Injury Update on Himself

For Indiana, the absence of all these ball handlers will likely necessitate more distribution duties for starting shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin and wing Aaron Nesmith, and perhaps even from three-time All-Star power forward Pascal Siakam while operating out of the post.

Mathurin, 23, is angling for a lucrative contract in restricted free agency next summer with Indiana or elsewhere, after failing to come to terms with the Pacers on an extension deal before the start of the season.

The 31-year-old Siakam, who is the Pacers' de facto best player with Haliburton out, is already submitting typically superlative numbers early on, having notched 32 points, 15 and four assists in Indiana's Thursday night season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a loss.

The action is set to tip off at 8 p.m. ET in Memphis.

UPDATE:

Per the Pacers' official X account, Furphy is now being sat to rest that sore left foot.

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