Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat: preview and player stats (Mar 6, 2027)

Head coach Rick Carlisle said Wednesday that Haliburton (hamstring) will miss at least 10 more days, Alex Golden of SI.com reports. Haliburton is still recovering from a left hamstring strain and will need more time to ramp up. Andrew Nembhard should continue seeing increased on-ball duties in Haliburton's stead, while Quenton Jackson and Braden Smith are also candidates for increased burn.

Nesmith exited to the locker room in the final seconds of Friday's 106-104 win over the Knicks due to an apparent hand/wrist injury, Tony East of Forbes.com reports. He posted 18 points (7-10 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and one assist in 33 minutes. Nesmith turned in an extremely efficient performance and finished as Indiana's second-leading scorer. He was also second on the club in rebounds. However, the swingman's status will be worth monitoring ahead of Sunday's game at Philadelphia after he exited Friday's win early.

Furphy (knee) is practicing with the G League's Noblesville Boom, per Alex Golden of SI.com. The Pacers have been pretty quiet regarding Furphy's ACL recovery since the offseason, but it's encouraging to hear some form of progress as the forward begins to ramp up his activity. Although Furphy still lacks a firm timetable for a return and is likely to be brought back slowly, it appears a season debut before the start of the new calendar year is in the cards.

Head coach Rick Carlise confirmed Sheppard will miss "months" after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, Tony East of Forbes.com reports. Sheppard required a full repair and is without a definitive timetable for a return to action. With Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) expected to miss at least two weeks, Quenton Jackson figures to see a significant uptick in playing time. Two-way player Braden Smith could also see increased action with the parent club.

Larsson (illness) is out for Friday's game against Cleveland. Larsson is sidelined for the first half of this back-to-back set with an illness. The expectation is that Andrew Wiggins will move back into the starting lineup after beginning the campaign as a member of the first unit.

Thompson (ankle) is out for Friday's game against the Cavaliers. The Heat sent mixed signals regarding the status of Thompson, first listing him as probable and later questionable before ruling him out altogether. With Andrew Wiggins already in line to fill in for Pelle Larsson (illness) on Friday, rookie second-rounder Ryan Conwell could be preparing for his first career start.