Indiana Pacers point guard Darren Collison will not play in Sunday afternoon's game against the Denver Nuggets, according to J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star:
Collison (thigh contusion) is OUT today #PacersNuggets
— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) March 24, 2019
Collison had started in the first 71 games of the year for the Pacers, but the thigh contusion will force him to miss his third consecutive game. The 31-year-old continues to be one of the steadiest point guards in the NBA, averaging 11.3 points, 6.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the arc.
Most importantly for the Pacers, Collison has upped his usage since the injury suffered by star shooting guard Victor Oladipo towards the end of January. Collison averaged nearly 14 points, seven assists and four rebounds in February, and is currently averaging close to 16 points in March to go along with 6.3 assists and 3.6 boards.
Indiana continues to impress even without Oladipo. The Pacers are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference and still hold a one-game lead over the Boston Celtics. Thanks in part to increased production from the likes of Collison and Thaddeus Young along with the rise of Domantas Sabonis, Indiana could be looking at home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, where they will likely face the Celtics.
Collison's development as a three-point shooter has been crucial to his personal development. Perimeter shooting is not where he does most of his work–he is still a slasher that utilizes the midrange game–but Collison is likely to shoot above 40 percent from the three-point line for the fourth consecutive season.
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