TITLE: Mathurin Sparks Pacers in Return; Pistons Send Ivey to G League; Embiid Doubtful, George Sidelined for Sixers
SLUG: mathurin-pacers-ivey-pistons-embiid-george-sixers-update
CONTENT:
Indiana, Detroit and Philadelphia each delivered notable injury and roster updates on Tuesday.
Mathurin’s Second-Half Surge Can’t Halt Pacers Slide
Indiana welcomed guard Bennedict Mathurin back to the floor after he missed 11 games with a sprained toe. The second-year scorer poured in 23 of his 25 points after halftime, yet the Pacers fell again, dropping to 1-13.
Mathurin rejected any sense of resignation inside the locker room. “Some clubs win ten straight,” he said. “Why can’t that be us? We’ve played 14 games—barely 15 percent of the season.” Center Isaiah Jackson echoed the sentiment, stressing that an energy boost from one player can ignite the group.
Pistons Assign Ivey for Conditioning
The Detroit Pistons sent guard Jaden Ivey to their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, for conditioning work. Ivey has not appeared since undergoing knee surgery during training camp and last played an NBA game on Jan. 1, when he fractured his left fibula. The 22-year-old is tracking toward restricted free agency this summer.
Sixers List Embiid Doubtful; George Out
The Philadelphia 76ers labeled reigning MVP Joel Embiid as doubtful for Wednesday’s matchup in Toronto due to ongoing right knee injury management. Embiid has been sidelined since Nov. 8.
Paul George will also miss the game for what the team termed left knee injury recovery. The forward logged 21 minutes in his season debut on Tuesday, totaling nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in Philadelphia’s win over the Clippers.
Source: Hoops Wire
