PORTLAND – Pacers All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are both available for Friday night's game against the Trailblazers and will have the opportunity to play together for the first time since Siakam was acquired by the Raptors on Wednesday.
Haliburton is listed as questionable on Friday's injury report after missing the last five games with a left hamstring strain. He was also listed as questionable before Thursday's game against the Kings and missed that game. However, he posted a video on his X account (formerly Twitter) saying he was “active again.”
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle confirmed in his pregame press conference on Friday that both players will play against the Blazers. He said it was a little challenging to get both back in action at the same time, but the Pacers' free-flowing style made it easier.
“Sometimes it’s best to just jump in at the deep end,” Carlisle said. “We had some time today to give (Siakam) an overview of the offense and defense. We try to keep it simple. The reality is that our system is not complicated. Defensively, it's all about hard play and positioning as well as the willingness to take on physical challenges and battles. We don't ask for much on offense. Tyrese will be out there a lot. When he’s out there we usually end up getting some pretty good shots.”
Siakam started his first game, along with Haliburton, guard Buddy Hield, forward Aaron Nesmith and center Myles Turner.
Pacers vs Kings: Due to trades and injuries, the Pacers are stuck in roster limbo and are coming off their most unlikely win
Having Haliburton and Siakam working together means the Pacers can boast a new level of offensive firepower. Both players are averaging more than 22 points per game this season and Haliburton leads the NBA with 12.5 assists per game. However, the Pacers will still be somewhat shorthanded due to other key injuries.
Guard Andrew Nembhard is out with a thoracic spine sprain. He also missed Thursday's game due to the same injury, a late scratch. Center Isaiah Jackson is out due to a concussion he suffered in Thursday's game.
However, Carlisle said striker Aaron Nesmith would be back after missing the last three games with a lower leg problem. He also said guard Bennedict Mathurin and forward Obi Toppin, both listed as questionable, would also be available.
Nesmith said he is looking forward to his first assignment with Siakam. A small and powerful forward, he knows what Siakam needs to do to prepare and believes it can be done with a quick turnaround.
“We play a pretty free brand of basketball,” Nesmith said. “Anyone who has played basketball for so long will have an easy time jumping in here and finding their place, finding their rhythm and playing in the flow of the offense. “I’m just looking forward to today” to see how much better he makes us and what impact he will have.
Nesmith said he's looking forward to having Siakam as both an additional offensive weapon and a defender who can take on the type of players he's typically tasked with defending.
“He makes my life easier,” Nesmith said. “So I’m excited.”