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CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Rick Carlisle of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on November 21, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Indiana Pacers lost another game on Monday night, falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers. That loss moved Indiana behind the Nets in the Eastern Conference standings, meaning they have the second-worst record in the East.
Despite the team being the healthiest they have been in weeks, they still continue to lose games. Rick Carlisle has done the best that he can to put his team in a position to win. Yet, there were questions on Monday about his rotation choices.
The Cavaliers blew out the Pacers in pretty easy fashion. After the game, reporters asked Carlisle about T.J. McConnell’s minutes, or lack thereof, in this game.
GettyT.J. McConnell dribbles the ball. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Pacers’ Coach Rick Carlisle questioned about T.J. McConnell
McConnell played just six minutes in this game, despite the fact that he is one of their best players. Carlisle explained in his postgame press conference why he made that decision.
“Yeah, he played the back-to-back, his first back-to-back on Friday, Saturday. And, he was a little sore after those two games. Got him warmed up and everything before the game, said he was okay, but once he started playing, he didn’t look himself. So I felt it was best just to pull the plug for tonight. The hope is that he’ll be ready for Wednesday, but there’s no injury or anything like that.”
The good news is that McConnell is not injured. After he missed the first 10 games with a hamstring injury, another one would have been devastating. It didn’t make much sense for McConnell to risk further injury since they were down by such a large margin in this contest.
Carlisle decided that it was best to manage the oldest player on the roster and keep his minutes down with another game coming in the middle of the week.
GettyObi Toppin looks down the court. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Pacers Are Still Missing Key Guys
Even though they are the healthiest they have been in a while, they still are banged up enough to qualify for a disability exception. That’s why Garrison Mathews just signed another 10-day contract. Indiana is still missing key players in the rotation.
Obi Toppin won’t be back for a couple of months as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in his foot. Johnny Furphy, Kam Jones, and Quenton Jackson are all still out. Furphy and Jones were expected to fight for rotational minutes before the season.
Of course, the Pacers are still missing their best player. Tyrese Haliburton will not play at all as he continues his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon. His absence is the biggest reason why the team has been struggling this season.
The Pacers have the second-worst offense in the NBA. McConnell has been helping with that, but he needs other guys to step up. While the guys are still playing hard, this looks like a team that his destined for a high lottery pick. That might end up being the best situation for their championship hopes, anyway.