The Pacers play five times between Friday and November 7, starting at Miami in the NBA Cup and ending with Denver on NBA TV. Haliburton's estimated return is November 13, so Siakam and the healthy guards carry the whole stretch.
Miami is the one
The Heat are 1-4 but won their last game, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.6 points and 11.2 rebounds across five games. Davion Mitchell sets up 7.6 assists. Miami's weakness is plain: a 116.8 defensive rating and a minus-8.4 net. Both teams push the tempo, Miami at 103.8 possessions and Indiana at 103.3, so the quick shot will be there all night. The right shot is the one worth waiting for. Indiana has one day of rest and has played three games in seven days; Miami has played four. Simone Fontecchio carries an illness tag. Because this game also counts in the NBA Cup, it is worth more than one result in the standings.
Two nights at home
Brooklyn visits on November 1 and Atlanta on November 2, consecutive nights at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the only back-to-back of the stretch. Indiana won 136-109 in Brooklyn on October 25. The timing helps. Zubac's estimated return from his left ankle is November 1 and McConnell's from his right hamstring is November 2, so the frontcourt and the second-unit point guard could both be back for the doubleheader. After that, Indiana visits Memphis on November 4 and hosts Denver on November 7, the only game this week with a national TV listing.
Who plays, who waits
Haliburton's left hamstring keeps him out until at least November 13. Sheppard and Furphy, both with knee injuries, are not expected back before January 2. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files listed Nembhard, who has a neck issue, and Nesmith, who has a hamstring issue, as probable for Miami. In the last three games Taelon Peter, Quenton Jackson and Kobe Brown have each played nine or ten more minutes than usual when a teammate sat, and this week will lean on them again. At 2-3, Indiana sits tenth, one game behind Cleveland in sixth and half a game clear of eleventh. A good week moves the Pacers up quickly, and a bad one drops them just as fast.
When is Tyrese Haliburton expected back for the Pacers?
His estimated return from the left hamstring injury is November 13. That date comes after this week's five games, so he is expected to miss all of them.
Do the Pacers play a back-to-back this week?
Yes. Indiana hosts the Nets on November 1 and the Hawks on November 2, both at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
