Pacers Face Timberwolves With 7 Players Out in Injury Crisis

The Indiana Pacers entered Sunday night's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves facing one of the most challenging injury situations in recent NBA memory. With seven players ruled out, including their star point guard, the defending Eastern Conference champions are testing the limits of roster depth in just their third game of the season.

A Devastating Injury Report

The Pacers' injury report reads like a hospital ward roster. According to multiple reports, the team ruled out the following players for Sunday's game at Target Center:

• Tyrese Haliburton - out for season, right Achilles tendon tear
• Bennedict Mathurin - out, right great toe sprain
• Andrew Nembhard - out, left shoulder strain
• T.J. McConnell - out, left hamstring strain
• Johnny Furphy - out, sore left foot
• Taelon Peter - out, right groin strain
• Kam Jones - out, lower back stress reaction

The situation worsened after Saturday night's 128-103 blowout loss at Memphis, where Mathurin—the team's leading scorer through two games—suffered a right great toe sprain. The injury couldn't have come at a worse time, as Mathurin had been carrying the offensive load with 26 points in 28 minutes against the Grizzlies.

Mathurin's Uncertain Status Compounds Problems

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle expressed doubt about Mathurin's availability in his postgame press conference, noting that the team's training staff would evaluate the guard before Wednesday's visit to Dallas. The coach suggested Mathurin might not even receive an MRI before Sunday's game, leaving the team in uncertainty about the severity of the injury.

"Without playmakers, the game is much more difficult," Carlisle told reporters, also noting that backup guard Taelon Peter was hobbled with a groin injury that limited him to just two minutes on Saturday. "On paper, we might have 10 or 11 guys [at Minnesota]. We'll see."

Depleted Rotation Forces Creative Solutions

With the injury crisis reaching unprecedented levels, Indiana entered Sunday with only two regular starters available: Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam. The Pacers' full center rotation remained intact with Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, and James Wiseman, but the perimeter situation became particularly dire.

Ben Sheppard and RayJ Dennis represented the only healthy guards on the roster, forcing Carlisle to consider unconventional lineup configurations. Nesmith and Siakam were expected to play down from their natural positions, while Obi Toppin likely saw increased minutes at the small forward spot.

Quenton Jackson was listed as probable with a right hamstring strain, potentially providing some relief if cleared to play.

Timberwolves Lose Edwards Early

The injury bug didn't spare Minnesota either. In a twist that somewhat evened the playing field, Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game with right hamstring tightness after playing just over three minutes in the first quarter.

According to reports from Chris Haynes of Amazon Prime and NBA TV, Edwards injured his hamstring early in the opening frame after converting a tough layup in traffic off a fast break. Despite taking hard contact, no foul was called. The Timberwolves called timeout one second later, and Bones Hyland substituted in for Edwards during the break.

Edwards, coming off a 41-point performance in Portland to open the season, has been remarkably durable throughout his career, playing in 426 of a possible 445 games including playoffs. His absence significantly altered Minnesota's offensive capabilities.

The Haliburton Factor

The most devastating blow to Indiana's championship aspirations came in the NBA Finals when two-time All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 against Oklahoma City. The injury will sideline Haliburton for the entire 2025-26 season, forcing the Pacers to completely reimagine their offensive system.

Haliburton was the engine that drove Indiana's seventh-ranked offense last season, which averaged 117.4 points per game. His absence, combined with the current wave of injuries, has left the Pacers struggling to find offensive rhythm through their first two games.

Offensive Struggles Without Key Playmakers

The lack of playmaking has manifested in poor shooting performances. In Saturday's loss at Memphis, Indiana shot just 22-of-49 (44.9%) on two-point field goals. Pascal Siakam, who led the NBA's seventh-most prolific scoring offense last season at 20.2 points per game, managed only 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting.

The Pacers opened the season with a 141-135 overtime loss to Oklahoma City in a Finals rematch, followed by the blowout defeat in Memphis. The mounting losses and injuries create a challenging early-season test for a team that reached only its second NBA Finals in franchise history last year.

Historical Context and Looking Ahead

Remarkably, the Pacers faced a similar situation last season when they visited Minnesota. In that game, Indiana beat the Timberwolves 132-130 in overtime despite having four starters sidelined by injuries and their top six scorers all out by the end of the fourth quarter.

That resilience will need to resurface as the Pacers navigate this injury crisis. With games coming quickly—including Wednesday's matchup in Dallas—the team must find ways to compete with a skeleton crew while hoping for gradual reinforcements.

Defensive Concerns for Minnesota

While Edwards' injury grabbed headlines, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch expressed concerns about his team's defensive performance through two games. "Defense is certainly not where it needs to be," Finch said. "[We are] not dictating at the point of attack. There's no aggressiveness to it at all. The fly-around mentality behind it is just not quite there."

The Trail Blazers and Lakers combined to shoot 58.9% inside the 3-point arc against Minnesota in the first two games—a concerning trend for a team that finished with the fifth-stingiest defense in the NBA last season at 109.3 points allowed per game.

Conclusion: Testing Championship Mettle

Sunday night's game between two injury-depleted teams became less about star power and more about depth, coaching adjustments, and sheer determination. For the Pacers, this brutal start to the season represents an unexpected test of their championship credentials.

How Rick Carlisle navigates this unprecedented injury situation could define Indiana's season. With creative lineup management and contributions from unexpected sources, the Pacers must find ways to stay competitive until reinforcements arrive. The loss of Haliburton for the season already altered their championship window; this additional wave of injuries threatens to derail their campaign entirely if not managed carefully.

As both teams demonstrated Sunday, the NBA season is a marathon that often tests roster depth more than star power. For Indiana, that test came far earlier—and more severely—than anyone anticipated.