UPDATE: Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin will play Monday vs the Pistons and is in the starting lineup.
DETROIT — Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said “I hope so,” when asked Monday if high-scoring wing Bennedict Mathurin will be available for Indiana’s game against the Pistons after missing the last 11 games with a great toe sprain.
As Carlisle continued speaking, it seemed that he considered Mathurin likely to play but wasn’t sure how much.
“He’s coming along well,” Carlisle said. “The return to play is challenging. It’s great getting guys back and then there’s a process you go through. This is a beginning of that process. I don’t know what the minutes are gonna look like. We gotta watch it. He’s done well with his rehab and ramp-up, hasn’t had setbacks or anything, which has been encouraging. We’ll see how it goes tonight. The hope is he’ll be fine and be able to play a substantial number of minutes. I don’t know what that looks like.”
Mathurin is averaging 16.0 points per game for his career and scored a combined 62 points in this season’s first two games before injuring his toe against the Grizzlies on Oct. 25. The Pacers, who are 1-12 and rank 29th of the NBA’s 30 teams in points per game, could desperately use his scoring punch.
The Pacers are still missing six players — All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, forwards Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin and Johnny Furphy and guards Quenton Jackson and Kam Jones.
