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The Indiana Pacers will visit the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at Little Caesars Arena. Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith are questionable on the team's injury report. Haliburton is dealing with a left groin strain, while Nesmith has a left ankle sprain.
Here's everything we know about both players' injuries and playing statuses vs. the Pistons.
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Tyrese Haliburton injury status vs. Pistons
Haliburton injured his groin during the second quarter of Sunday's 108-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and did not return. The Pacers listed him as doubtful before ruling him out for Tuesday's 127-117 loss to the Cavaliers. It marked his first missed game of the season.
A questionable tag indicates that Haliburton is trending in the right direction and has a chance to suit up against the Pistons. The two-time All-Star turned in his most productive stretch of the season during a five-game win streak at the start of the month, averaging 24.8 points, 10.8 assists and 1.8 turnovers on 55/49/89 shooting splits.
Meanwhile, Nesmith's ankle sprain has sidelined him since a Nov. 1 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana's fifth game of the season. The 25-year-old has a chance to return against Detroit, although he'll likely be on a minutes restriction. He turned in the most productive season of his career in 2023-24, averaging 12.2 points and 4.0 rebounds on 50/42/78 shooting splits while making 47 starts over 72 appearances.
Nesmith is in the first season of a three-year, $33 million contract.
Benedict Mathurin will be sidelined for the Pistons matchup. Mathurin was suspended for one game without pay for “making inappropriate contact with and verbally abusing a game official” during Tuesday's loss to the Cavaliers. The former sixth overall pick is Indiana's third-leading scorer this season, averaging 16.5 points on 46/36/82 shooting splits with 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
Following a 10-15 start to the season, the Pacers are one of the NBA's hottest teams entering Thursday's Pistons matchup. Rick Carlisle's squad has won 12 of its last 16 games. During that span, Indiana ranks fifth in offense and 10th in defense.
The Pistons have seen similar success, winning 10 of their last 12 games. Detroit has a relatively clean injury report against Indiana, with Jaden Ivey being the team's only rotation piece who will out.
