The Pacers are 2-1 and play five games in eight days, starting Monday at a Bucks team that is 0-3 and on no rest. Zubac's left ankle and a thin guard rotation shape how Indiana can run it.
Milwaukee on no rest
Indiana is at the Bucks on Monday, and Milwaukee plays with zero days of rest after three straight losses. The Pacers lost 127-128 to this team on October 16, so the margin was one possession. Myles Turner, who spent ten seasons in Indiana, now plays for Milwaukee, and Taylor Jenkins' group has Tyler Herro at 23.7 points a game. The Pacers have the better rhythm at the moment. They shot the ball well at Brooklyn and kept the turnovers down in the second half, as Carlisle noted.
Who is available
Ivica Zubac sprained his left ankle about seven minutes into Sunday's game, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Agness also reported that Rick Carlisle said the x-rays were negative but the ankle is swollen, and that Zubac is unlikely to play Monday. Jay Huff covered the minutes with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and three blocks in 21 minutes. T.J. McConnell is listed out with a right hamstring. Ben Sheppard is out with an estimated return of December 1, and Johnny Furphy is out until January 2. Aaron Nesmith was cleared on October 25.
Five games in eight days
After Milwaukee, the Pacers host the 76ers on Wednesday, October 28, on ESPN. They go to Miami on Friday, October 30, for an Emirates NBA Cup game against the Heat. Then comes the part to circle: the Nets visit on Sunday, November 1, and the Hawks follow on Monday, November 2. That is a home back-to-back with no travel, but with little recovery for a guard group already short. Brooklyn gets a second look at an Indiana team that scored 136 against it, and the Pacers can answer only by sharing the ball again.
Who do the Pacers play this week?
They play at the Bucks on October 26, the 76ers on October 28 (ESPN), at the Heat on October 30 and the Nets on November 1. The Hawks come to Indianapolis on November 2.
Will Ivica Zubac play against the Bucks?
Zubac is listed day-to-day with a left ankle sprain. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files reported that Carlisle said the x-rays were negative, but with swelling Zubac is unlikely to play Monday.
