The Indiana Pacers, currently struggling with a roster plagued by injuries, have faced yet another setback. On Monday, the team revealed that their second-year forward, Johnny Furphy, is anticipated to be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
Furphy sustained the injury during the third quarter of a game on Sunday, where the Pacers suffered a 122-104 defeat against the Toronto Raptors. Following the incident, team officials released a statement detailing that the Australian player was transported to the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, where an MRI confirmed the severity of his injury. The Pacers are currently in New York preparing for a matchup against the Knicks on Tuesday.
This unfortunate news adds Furphy to an extensive list of injured players, which notably includes Tyrese Haliburton, a two-time All-Star guard who has been ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon during Game 7 of last June's NBA Finals.
Additionally, starters such as Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, along with key reserves Obi Toppin and T.J. McConnell, have all missed games this season due to various injuries. As a result, the Pacers find themselves with one of the worst records in the league, standing at 13 wins and 40 losses. However, the absence of these players allowed Johnny Furphy, a second-round pick from the 2024 draft out of Kansas, to gain valuable playing time, resulting in 21 starts where he averaged 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
In addition to Furphy’s injury, the Pacers might also be contending with yet another player on the sidelines—new center Ivica Zubac, acquired last week from the LA Clippers. Zubac has been nursing an ankle injury since December, and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has indicated that Zubac will not return to the court until he is fully prepared to do so.
