Myles Turner spent 10 seasons with the Pacers. The 6-foot-11 center appeared in 642 regular-season games, 66 playoff games and did his share to get Indiana to Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals.
Monday will be the first time he plays in Indianapolis since signing a four-year, $108.9 million contract in July with Milwaukee, which visits the Pacers on Monday after they won their first game in the post-Turner era.
The reigning Eastern Conference champions limped, in figurative and literal fashion, to an 0-5 start before Saturday’s 114-109 defeat of Golden State. Indiana began the campaign faced with injury issues with two-time All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton out from the Achilles’ injury he suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but the Pacers have since lost guards Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard.
Mathurin, who opened the season with games of 36 and 26 points, respectively, sustained a toe sprain in the Oct. 25 loss at Memphis. Nembhard has been out since the season-opening Finals rematch with Oklahoma City due to a shoulder injury, though he is listed as day-to-day.
Indiana’s backcourt depth has taken further hits with spark-plug reserve T.J. McConnell yet to play in the regular season due to a hamstring injury suffered in the preseason.
Meanwhile, the Pacers’ frontcourt will be without Obi Toppin for an estimated three months, requiring surgery on his right foot.
“(These are) difficult circumstances,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said following Saturday’s first win, which came in the second half of a back-to-back. “But we showed the kind of toughness, resiliency that has been our calling card, really, for the last couple of years.
“You can’t say enough about Quenton Jackson, Aaron Nesmith. Pascal Siakam is getting so much attention on a nightly basis, but tonight, the ball moved way better and we played more up to our defensive capabilities.”
Siakam, a two-time All-NBA selection, is on early career-high paces for scoring at 25.0 points per game and rebounding at 9.0 per game. Against Golden State, Siakam went for 27 points and Nesmith scored a career-high 31 points.
Jackson also produced career-bests Saturday with 25 points and 10 assists. Jackson, who’s on a two-way contract, is part of a young contingent playing critical minutes amid the rash of injuries along with RayJ Dennis and Ben Sheppard, all of whom have spent time in the G League in recent seasons.
Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee’s former G League performer, has stepped into a prominent early-season role. He produced back-to-back career-high performances in wins on Tuesday over New York (25 points) and Thursday against Golden State (32 points).
Rollins delivered his fifth consecutive double-figure scoring performance Saturday with 16 points in a 135-133 loss to Sacramento.
In addition to averaging 18.2 points — second on the Bucks — to two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 34.2 points, Rollins contributes 5.5 assists and 2.3 steals.
Antetokounmpo scored 26 points Saturday, including 10 straight over a stretch in the fourth quarter, to help Milwaukee match its season-high scoring total. However, the nine-time All-Star preached defense after Milwaukee gave up 15 points more than its previous worst.
“At the end of the day, if you don’t play defense, you’re not going to win the game,” Antetokounmpo said. “It doesn’t matter how many points you score.”
Turner, who led the NBA in blocked shots twice during his tenure with the Pacers, looms as a central figure in Milwaukee’s defensive plans. Six games into his run with the Bucks, Turner averages 9.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and a team-high 1.8 blocks.
