Johnny

Furphy

Furphy was injured during the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Raptors, as he landed awkwardly after finishing a dunk. The second-year wing was taken back to the locker room via wheelchair, and an MRI on Monday confirmed fears that he’d suffered a torn ACL. Furphy started 21 of the 35 games he appeared in this season, averaging 5.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.7 three-pointers in 18.4 minutes. His absence opens up minutes for multiple players, most notably Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard.

Furphy appeared to injure his right knee due to an awkward landing after throwing down a dunk during the third quarter. Requiring assistance to get off the court, the second-year wing was then taken to the locker room via wheelchair. Furphy finished with four points, two rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes.

Mathurin and Nesmith join Andrew Nembhard (back), T.J. McConnell (knee) and Pascal Siakam (rest) on the sidelines for the second leg of a back-to-back set. The absence of Nesmith and Nembhard should mean more run for Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy.

Mathurin is dealing with a right thumb sprain as well as a toe injury. The 23-year-old small forward hasn’t played since January 2, but has a chance to return Monday against the Hawks. Fantasy managers should be aware that the Pacers and Hawks tipoff at 1:00 P.M. eastern time. If Mathurin is out again, Johnny Furphy should remain in the starting lineup.

According to Carlisle, Mathurin, who has not played since January 2, is progressing in his recovery from thumb and toe injuries. While the head coach also noted that he’s unsure when the wing will be able to play in games, Carlisle said on January 16 that he believed that Mathurin could play at some point during the Pacers’ current five-game road trip. Johnny Furphy should remain in the starting lineup until Mathurin can play without restriction.

While a sprained right thumb was the listed reason for Mathurin’s absence, that isn’t the only injury that he’s dealing with. According to Pacers insider Scott Agness, the wing is also dealing with turf toe. Given where the Pacers are in the standings, there isn’t much reason for Mathurin to rush back. Johnny Furphy, who moved into the starting lineup, and Ben Sheppard are players for deep-league managers to track in Mathurin’s absence.

Mathurin injured his right (shooting) thumb during Friday’s loss to the Spurs, playing 20 minutes as a result. He’ll miss at least one complete game with the injury, leaving the already shorthanded Pacers down one of their better scorers. While Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy could play more in Mathurin’s absence, this could also be viewed as an opportunity to get rookie Kam Jones more minutes.

While Aaron Nesmith is back after missing time with a knee injury, he will come off the bench. The lone change to the Pacers’ starting lineup is Furphy, who steps in for Quenton Jackson. There’s no need to consider streaming Furphy, but he’s worth watching for “silly season” prep.

Furphy’s coming off his best game of the season, as he tallied 18 points in 23 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Pelicans. He scored 13 points in the second half, and that may get him a few more minutes on Monday if he’s available. However, there’s no reason to roster Furphy in redraft leagues.

Due to a sprained left ankle, Furphy has not appeared in a game since November 3. While Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said that the second-year wing will be available for Wednesday’s game, fantasy managers should not interpret that as a guarantee that he’ll see the minutes needed to affect fantasy basketball. Leave Furphy on the waiver wire.