The Pacers head into Wednesday’s Pacers Vs Grizzlies game with a chance to get healthier at exactly the right time. After a 108-104 loss to Atlanta on Monday, Indiana may have Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Pascal Siakam available again for the trip to FedEx Forum.
That matters because this is not just another regular-season stop. The Pacers are in the middle of what has been described as essentially a three-game road trip, with Memphis on Wednesday, the NBA Mexico City Game 2026 against the Nuggets in Mexico City on Saturday, and then a trip to Dallas to face the Mavs on Monday.
Rick Carlisle wants the standard to hold
Rick Carlisle used the Atlanta game to underline the identity he wants his team to keep, saying: “This is the culture that I believe we have built here.” He also made clear that the effort level shown by the six available players sets the benchmark going forward.
“We have faltered this year at times. But the guys that were watching I think felt the power of what these six guys did tonight. Going forward, it will take nothing less than that,” Carlisle said.
That is the right message for a Pacers team that has already had to deal with a stretch of injury uncertainty. The coach is not hiding from the reality that Indiana has been short-handed at times, but he is also making the point that standards still matter, no matter who is available.
Memphis brings its own challenge
The Grizzlies will not make this easy. Memphis had been the league’s last undefeated team before Monday’s 135-134 overtime loss to New Orleans, and that result should not disguise how strong they have been early in the season.
For Indiana, the key question is whether the possible return of Nembhard, Nesmith and Siakam gives the Pacers enough balance to match that level. A fuller rotation would help on both ends, especially after a demanding start to the week and a game in which the Pacers had multiple players listed as questionable or out.
There is also the bigger context of where Indiana stands. The Pacers entered this stretch at 2-6, while Memphis came in at 6-1, so the task in Memphis is a difficult one even if reinforcements do arrive.
Still, the appeal for Indiana is obvious. If the Pacers can bring back key rotation pieces, they can turn a difficult travel week into something more manageable. If they cannot, Carlisle’s point about culture becomes even more important, because the schedule is only getting busier from here.
