The Indiana Pacers lost to the Orlando Magic, but even worse, they lost Chris Duarte late in the game after re-injuring his toe. Losing games isn’t the worst thing for this Pacers team, but Duarte missing any time is not ideal.
Although we don’t know the severity of what he is dealing with, it is unfortunate that this injury continues to linger as the season nears its end.
The Indiana Pacers lost Duarte before the All-Star break with this same toe soreness. Duarte missed three games before being able to return.
This toe injury kept Duarte out for three games, but if not for the all-star break he could have missed much more. Duarte missed 14 days with this toe injury, as he didn’t play in the team’s first game back against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Duarte played 14 minutes before leaving the game, scoring just 7 points and 4 rebounds. He didn’t look like his usual self.
Rick Carlisle shared his thoughts on Duarte’s injury after the game when asked by James Boyd of the IndyStar.
"“His toe is sore, so we’ll hope that in the next day and a half that he can get it feeling better. Sometimes these things, you get kicked and it hurts a lot then calms down, but I don’t know what is going to happen with that.I did tell him to get with Josh (Pacers Athletic Trainer) and get treatment and try and get you ready for Wednesday. If not it will be Friday”."
This means there is a chance Duarte won’t see action again until Friday’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons, who the Pacers have lost to once this season.
For developmental reasons, it’s unfortunate to have any game played without Duarte, especially with the small but of games remaining in his rookie season. He has been mostly healthy all season, playing 52 of the team’s 62 games and staring in 38.
His absence makes the team worse overall, but Indiana may see the return of both Lance Stephenson and Malcolm Brogdon, which helps Tyrese Haliburton in the point guard role.
This could mean more Duane Washington Jr. minutes, who has struggled lately in shooting the ball. Washington may be someone the Pacers want to retain after this season, so seeing him in more time isn’t the worst.
The Pacers hold a record of 21-42 and now face the Orlando Magic again on Wednesday before heading to Detroit.