INDIANA Pacers reserve forward Jarace Walker injured his right ankle during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night and his availability for the NBA Finals is uncertain.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Walker was on crutches after the game. The ankle badly turned while he was defending Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks during the opening possession of the fourth quarter.
“He’s young, so that’s good,“ Carlisle said after his team’s series-clinching 125-108 victory. “I did not see a replay, so I don’t know how much, how far it turned over, how much weight he had on it. But when a guy goes down and stays down like that, you’re always holding your breath.”
Indiana faces the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night in Oklahoma City in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Walker had two points and one rebound in seven minutes before exiting. He remained on the floor as play continued until it was stopped after New York scored another basket. He was eventually helped off the floor by two trainers.
Walker, 21, averaged 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 75 regular-season games (five starts) this season. He was a first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in the 2023 draft.
Also, backup center Tony Bradley (hip), who was injured in Game 5, didn’t see any action.