Malcolm Brogdon's return to the Indiana Pacers lineup will have to wait for at least one more game. James Boyd confirmed that the Pacers' point guard would miss his ninth straight contest on Monday night. Boyd also noted that Chris Duarte is unavailable, while Torrey Craig and Isaiah Jackson will be active against the Boston Celtics.
Malcolm Brogdon is OUT (right Achilles), Chris Duarte (personal responses) is OUT, Torrey Craig (reconditioning) is available, Isaiah Jackson (reconditioning) is available. #Pacers
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) January 10, 2022
Brogdon hasn't played since injuring his Achilles tendon against the Miami Heat on December 21. The 29-year-old is nearing a return to action, and it can't come soon enough. The Pacers are 2-7 since Brogdon went down with the Achilles injury.
Keifer Sykes has replaced Brogdon in the 1-spot, starting the past four games for Indiana. The rookie guard out of Green Bay is averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists as a starter, translating to 27.5 FanDuel Fantasy Points per game. On Monday night, Sykes has a $5,600 salary on the FanDuel Main Slates.
The Pacers are coming off their first win over their past six games. Still, they enter tonight's contest as +9 underdogs against the 19-21 Celtics.
