INDIANAPOLIS – If Indiana Pacers reserve forward Jarace Walker returns for the NBA Finals, it won’t be early in the series.
Coach Rick Carlisle told 107.5 The Fan that Walker will miss at least the first two games of the upcoming series against the Oklahoma City Thunder after suffering an ankle injury in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Carlisle made the comments during an interview with Kevin Bowen and James Boyd.
Walker suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the Pacers’ series-clinching win against the Knicks. He was trying to block a shot and landed awkwardly on his right foot. He went down near the baseline and remained there through a change of possession before the officials stopped the game. He had to be helped off the court.
Carlisle didn’t address the severity of the injury. Walker was on crutches as the Pacers celebrated their Eastern Conference Finals win and remained on crutches on Sunday.
Carlisle said Walker would “certainly” miss the first two games of the Finals. He suggested the spread-out nature of the series could give Walker some additional time to heal.
For comparison, the Eastern Conference Finals schedule had the Pacers and Knicks playing every other day. For the Finals, there are multiple days between games. The extra time could open the window for Walker’s return.
“It was a tough fall, and [the ankle] was quite swollen after the game,” Carlisle said. “It will be a loss not having him available.”
Walker will likely be listed as “out” going into the series, Carlisle said.
The Pacers acquired Walker in a draft day trade in 2023. He was the eighth overall pick of the NBA Draft, technically selected by the Washington Wizards before the teams worked out a deal.
He averaged 15.8 minutes per game during the regular season and appeared in 75 games. During the Pacers’ playoff run, he’s played sparingly, averaging under 10 minutes a game across 12 playoff appearances. He didn’t appear in four of the Pacers’ 16 playoff games.