Pacers host Spurs as preseason rolls on — while Caitlin Clark cheers on Chiefs with Taylor Swift
The Pacers’ guard rotation remains thin as camp injuries mount ahead of Opening Night, while Clark spends her Sunday with one of the few people who can match her star power.
The Pacers are just over halfway through camp and have about 10 days until opening night: at home against Oklahoma City on Oct. 23.
On Sunday, Tyrese Haliburton was field level at Lucas Oil Stadium, hanging out in Pat McAfee’s suite again for the Colts’ narrow win — they’re now 5-1 this season — over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
After a day off, the Pacers are back to it on Monday.
They’ve started the preseason 2-0, with wins at Minnesota and at home against the Thunder. But as Peyton Manning taught Indy sports fans decades ago, preseason records are meaningless. The focus instead is on maximizing time together and staying healthy.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, the second goal is off to a bad start.
After injuries to guard T.J. McConnell (hamstring) and Delon Wright (head) in their first tune-up game, guards Quenton Jackson (sore right hamstring) and Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain) sustained injuries over the weekend and did not return, as a precaution, in their win over the Thunder.
Starters Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Pascal Siakam weren’t in uniform — and Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Isaiah Jackson did not play in the second half.
Wright was waived after the first game — receiving 10 stitches above his eye — and so veteran Cam Payne, part of the 2015 draft class, was signed.
Neither Quenton Jackson nor Furphy will play in Monday’s game, which is disappointing because Furphy is one of the players I was most interested in seeing what he would show in preseason. The other is Jarace Walker, who’s coming off a season-ending injury and has two seasons behind him.
Entering camp, the center spot was the most vulnerable given the hole created after Myles Turner departed in free agency and having two others, Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman, being less than 12 months removed from surgery to repair torn Achilles.
Now, however, it’s the guard position.
Haliburton, McConnell, Jackson, Furphy, Ben Sheppard, and Kam Jones are all missing time with injuries — and that’s not even counting Monte Morris, who the Pacers planned to sign but did not due to health concerns.
As for the two games this week against the Spurs: For both fan bases, it’s a nice make-up for last season since the teams instead played twice in Paris — therefore neither fan base got to see the other during their annual visit.
Fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will get to see rising star Victor Wembanyama, who’s just 21 years old, on Monday night for just the second time. Teams are responsible for their exhibition schedule and the Pacers face the San Antonio Spurs in a home-and-home this week to close out the preseason.
Caitlin Clark Enjoys Chiefs Win With Taylor Swift
One week ago, Caitlin Clark was one of four Fever players in the stadium for the Colts’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders. They were each given jerseys and, to no surprise, Clark was happy to hold her No. 22 blue jersey up — but she wasn’t putting it on.
That’s because she’s a diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. Has been her entire life, growing up in West Des Moines.
Clark wasn’t just at Arrowhead for the Chiefs’ 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions for Sunday Night Football, but she was also up in a suite with pop star Taylor Swift for the second time. The two were shown on NBC several times.
Given Clark’s worldwide popularity, Swift is one of the few individuals on the planet who could understand — and offer advice.
And if Clark was healthy this past season, Swift and now fiancé Travis Kelce were expected to sit courtside for a game.
Even more, Kelce wore a black hoodie with Clark’s new logo on it last week for the most recent episode of his “New Heights” podcast — an interview with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Clark is still working her way back from an ankle injury that cost her half the season. She has not played in a game since mid-July. She planned to take a week off after the season before continuing rehab.