Malcolm Brogdon is set to miss a second straight game for the Indiana Pacers despite feeling better after nursing a sore back, according to the team. Head coach Nate McMillan noted that Brogdon won't travel with the team for at least the beginning of their upcoming, short two-game road trip, and he will miss Saturday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, but potentially able to rejoin the team against the Charlotte Hornets next week.
“He won't travel with us on this trip,” said McMillan. “What I was told is that he felt a lot better but not well enough to travel on this trip, so we're gonna leave him here to get treatment and if he feels better in the next day or so he can join us in Charlotte, but he won't travel with us today.”
Coach McMillan provides an update on Malcolm, who will be OUT for tomorrow night’s game with a sore lower back. pic.twitter.com/GpkHhJEs1O
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 3, 2020
Brogdon has missed eight games this season, but he's been outstanding when he's been on the court. He's averaging 17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game in 27 games. His scoring and assist numbers are both career highs, as he's assumed a much larger role in Indiana's offense than he did over the first three years of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks. The former NBA Rookie of the Year signed a four-year, $85 million free-agent deal with the Pacers in June.
Second-year guard Aaron Holiday is likely to get the nod to start again at point guard against the Hawks, much like he did in the loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, while T.J. McConnell will get a bump in minutes as the immediate backup.
Brogdon also had a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games prior to his brief seven-minute return against the Philadelphia 76ers before exiting.
The Pacers (22-13) are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the Philadelphia 76ers after their loss to Denver.
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