In the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers guard Johnny Furphy landed awkwardly after a dunk and suffered a non-contact right leg injury. He was then carried off the court and went to the locker room in a wheelchair. The Australian native did not return to the game.
As it stands, there isn't a clear update on his injury, and head coach Rick Carlisle's comments about Furphy's situation don't seem too promising (h/t Dustin Dopirak of the IndyStar).
"We're not sure on Furphy's situation," Carlisle told media after the game. "He'll get testing tomorrow in New York and we'll see where things are. We're hoping it's not that bad but we don't know right now. Going to hope for the best."
Injuries have plagued the Pacers all season
Unfortunately for Indiana, Furphy's injury is not the only one it has had to deal with this season.
Most notably, All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles tear in Game 7 of last year's NBA Finals, and he will miss the entirety of the season. Additionally, the Pacers have had to deal with a plethora of injuries to key players throughout the campaign.
Andrew Nembhard suffered a shoulder injury during the Pacers' first game of the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he missed a couple of weeks because of it. T.J. McConnell missed the first 10 games of the season after sustaining a hamstring injury in preseason. Aaron Nesmith missed over a month of action because of a knee injury. And Obi Toppin has been on the shelf since October due to a foot injury.
The Pacers haven't been at full health all season (not even including Haliburton's absence), and it's showing on the court.
Just ahead of the All-Star break, they are 13-40 and own the worst record in the East and second-worst in the NBA (just ahead of the Sacramento Kings). Furthermore, according to Basketball-Reference.com, their 109.4 offensive rating ranks last in the league, and their 117.2 defensive rating ranks 21st.
It seems like so long ago that the Pacers were just one win away from an NBA Championship. They look like a completely different team this year (though that's largely because they actually are, and they were even before the blockbuster Ivica Zubac trade), but they still have a bright future nonetheless.
Indiana should get Haliburton back next season, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about what he can do alongside Zubac. Plus, they have a chance to secure a top-four pick in this year's draft and land a prospect who could really move the needle in their direction. And in an Eastern Conference that still looks to be wide-open, they have a real shot to re-establish themselves as title contenders as soon as next season.
Still, times are tough in Indiana at the moment. And Furphy's injury is just the latest entry in that chapter.