Who Needs To Step Up For Pacers After Tyrese Haliburton Injury?

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle did not offer much in terms of an injury update on Haliburton, pretty much reaffirming what was already known at the time.

"I don't know," Carlisle said. "I was told that he was having tightness."

Luckily for the Pacers, as he has done previously in these types of instances, Andrew Nembhard stepped up. The Pacers guard finished the game with a team-high 19 points, four assists, and two steals.

"You know what to expect from him every single time," Obi Toppin told reporters. "He knows how to control the game offensively, and everybody knows him defensively. It's no secret, [he's] one of the best defenders in the league. So he did a great job controlling the pace of the game and our team, and that's how we got the [win]."

Nembhard sounded like he had no issue with the added responsibility.

"I feel comfortable," the third-year pro told the media. "I'm bringing the ball up a lot when Ty's in the game, so I feel comfortable with the ball in my hands. I was just trying to have the ball pop and moving. It's not just about me, it's about playing as a group, honestly. I think we did a great job playing as a group."

Nembhard has proven himself capable of handling the reins of the Pacers offense when Haliburton has been out of the lineup previously. The most memorable of those instances was Nembhard's play in the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

The Canadian averaged 24.0 points, while shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from 3-point, and 8.0 assists in the final three games of the series against the Boston Celtics.

If Haliburton is forced to miss an extended period due to injury, a lot of the responsibility for steering the ship of the Pacers will undoubtedly fall to Nembhard.