Pacers' Myles Turner Exits Suns Game With Concerning New Injury

The 3-and-D big man departed the contest after a productive quarter-and-a-half of action.

3Dec 19, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during the fourth quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

3-and-D Indiana Pacers starting center Myles Turner has departed his team's ongoing, back-and-forth home clash against the Phoenix Suns with a troubling new ailment.

Per the Pacers' official X account, the 6-foot-11 Texas product has been diagnosed with a sore left calf, and is considered questionable to return on Saturday.

Injury Update: Myles Turner (sore left calf) is questionable to return to tonight's game.

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 5, 2025

At the break, the two teams are tied, 56-56. All-NBA Phoenix power forward Kevin Durant is the only scorer in double figures for either team, with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor (0-of-2 from deep) and 2-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe, along with five rebounds, four assists and a block. All-Star guards Devin Booker (nine points on 3-of-7 shooting) and Bradley Beal (eight points on 3-of-10 shooting) are having decent first halves.

Despite the tie, the Suns were significantly outshooting the Pacers, converting 53.5 percent of their field goal attempts to 39.6 percent of Indiana's. Both clubs had 24 boards at the break. The Suns led Indiana 19-17 in assists, while Indiana enjoyed a significant 5-1 edge in steals.

All-NBA Indiana power forward Siakam, All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Turner had been pacing the Pacers with nine points apiece, though presumably Siakam and Haliburton will be scoring a lot more in the second half.

Across 13:16 of action, Turner has nine points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field (1-of-3 from deep), two rebounds, an assist and a block.

The 6-foot-11 Texas product, a two-time blocks leader in the league and a 2015 All-Rookie Team honoree, has enjoyed yet another solid, incredibly healthy season in 2024-25 for the 17-18 Pacers. He's averaging 15.1 points on .489/.393/.724 shooting splits, 7.1 rebounds, 2.0 blocks (not quite at the heights of his league-leading 3.4 rejections in 2020-21 or his NBA-most 2.7 blocks in 2018-19, but still great), 1.6 assists, and 0.8 steals a night.

Turner has finished among the top nine in Defensive Player of the Year voting twice thus far, although he stunningly has yet to make an All-Defensive Team. The 28-year-old could be a sleeping giant when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer. As a modern, floor-spacing center with legitimate size and length who can also protect the rim at the other end of the hardwood, Turner seems likely to earn a big raise from his current $19.9 million salary — even if it comes from the Pacers.

UPDATE:

Turner was able to rejoin his comrades for the top of the contest's third quarter.

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