Last Updated: Jan. 25 at 10:30 AM ET
Matchup
The course of the 2018-19 Pacers season was altered on Wednesday, when All-Star guard Victor Oladipo went down with a season-ending knee injury. The news was devastating both in the locker room and in the community, as not only is Oladipo the Pacers' best player but he is beloved by teammates and fans alike because of his upbeat attitude and charming personality.
For the rest of the Pacers, however, the season continues. At 32-15, Indiana remains in the thick of the playoff race, almost assured of a postseason berth and still with a fighting chance to secure a top-four seed and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
While head coach Nate McMillan acknowledged the Pacers will miss Oladipo — "He's a special player and a special person" — he also said that his team must move forward and continue their playoff push.
"Injuries are a part of the game, we know that," McMillan said at Thursday's practice. "We've played without some players this season. It comes down to really next man up."
With Oladipo out, Tyreke Evans will move into the starting lineup, rookie guard Aaron Holiday will return to the rotation, and two-way guard Edmond Sumner will be called up from the G League to provide backcourt depth. All three players have shown flashes of promise this season — Evans has scored in double figures in his last seven games, Holiday provided scoring punch when Oladipo missed 11 games earlier this season due to knee soreness, and Sumner is averaging 23.9 points per game in the G League.
Indiana's first test without Oladipo comes against the scuffling Grizzlies (19-30). Memphis started the season 12-5 but has gone into a tailspin since and has dropped eight straight and 14 of its last 15 games.
ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Grizzlies will be listening to trade offers for stars Mike Conley and Marc Gasol ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline, a signal that major changes could be ahead in Memphis.
Projected Starters
Darren Collison
Tyreke Evans
Bojan Bogdanovic
Thaddeus Young
Myles Turner
Mike Conley
Justin Holiday
Garrett Temple
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Marc Gasol
Pacers: PG - Darren Collison, SG - Tyreke Evans, SF - Bojan Bogdanovic, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Grizzlies: PG - Mike Conley, SG - Justin Holiday, SF - Garrett Temple, PF - Jaren Jackson Jr., C - Marc Gasol
Injury Report
Pacers: Victor Oladipo - out (ruptured quad tendon in right knee)
Grizzlies: Kyle Anderson - out (left ankle sprain), Dillon Brooks - out (right toe injury), Chandler Parsons - not with team
Last Meeting
October 17, 2018: The Pacers dominated the Grizzlies on Opening Night Presented by Kroger, rolling to a 111-83 win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The Blue & Gold got solid contributions from returning stars (16 points, five rebounds, and five assists for All-Star guard Victor Oladipo) and new additions (14 points, four boards, and six dimes from free agent acquisition Tyreke Evans).
Seven Pacers players finished in double figures and the Blue & Gold held Memphis to just 29.8 percent shooting in a dominant performance. Bojan Bogdanovic had 19 points, Victor Oladipo added 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Domantas Sabonis finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
"It was Opening Night, I think everybody was juiced up and ready to go," Myles Turner said. "(We were) just flying around and had each other's back."
Marc Gasol scored all of his team-high 13 points for Memphis after halftime, but was just 2-for-11 from the field. Garrett Temple added 12 points and Mike Conley scored 11 for Memphis, but that duo went a combined 7-for-24.
Noteworthy
- With a win on Saturday, the Pacers would sweep the season series with Memphis for the second straight season.
- Pacers head coach Nate McMillan picked up his 600th career win on Wednesday, becoming the fifth active NBA coach and 26th ever to reach the milestone.
- Pacers guard Aaron Holiday will face off against his brother Justin for the fourth time this season. The brothers met three times while Justin Holiday was a member of the Bulls (once in the preseason and twice in the regular season). He was traded to Memphis on Jan. 4.
Tickets
The Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and the Golden State Warriors on Monday, Jan. 28 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana/NBA TV - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter)
Radio: 107.5 FM The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.