Pacers bracing for Bennedict Mathurin to miss games after he suffered right ankle sprain

Mathurin suffered the first injury of his pro career with 1:30 left in the first quarter against the Houston Rockets and remained back in the locker room.

George Hill and James Johnson carried Mathurin off the court Thursday in a win over the Houston Rockets.

Pacers lottery pick Bennedict Mathurin was determined to play all 82 games this season. Only he and Buddy Hield had played in each of the first 67 Pacers games this season.

That streak, however, is expected to end after Mathurin rolled his right ankle when he came down on the foot of the Houston Rockets big man Usman Garuba.

He was attacking the left side of the floor, beat his man and Garbuba came over to help. Mathurin fell down, immediately clutched his right ankle and was very clearly in pain. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle used his third timeout of the quarter so the game could be stopped and Mathurin got the attention he needed.

After a few minutes, they got him up and he’s a tough guy, but veterans James Johnson and George Hill carried him off the floor and directly back toward the locker room.