Indiana Pacers Rule Out 2 Stars for Friday's Game Against the Detroit Pistons

The Indiana Pacers will be without arguably their two biggest stars for their Monday night showdown with the Detroit Pistons. The team declared via the NBA Injury Report that Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton will both sit with injuries.

Is #Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton playing tonight? Latest injury report (via @IndyInThePaint) https://t.co/V80fQgBKXs
— 8 Points, 9 Seconds (@8pts9secs) March 13, 2023

Haliburton is out with a bruised knee and Turner is dealing with a sore lower back. Both also missed Wednesday's 121-115 win against the Pistons but have been largely healthy this year: Haliburton has appeared in 54 of a possible 68 games and Turner's been available for 57.

Haliburton leads the Pacers in scoring at 20.8 points per game and Turner is right behind him at 18.0, but their absences probably aren't anything to worry about. The Pistons are in the middle of a full-blown tank, sporting an NBA-worst 15-53 record. The Pacers have likely discerned they don't need their full roster in order to have a good chance at a win.

The Pacers are 31-37 and 11th in the Eastern Conference. They could plausibly fight their way into the play-in tournament, but they're not a serious threat to compete this postseason. They're still a dramatic draft or transaction away from becoming a contender.