PHILADELPHIA — The Indiana Pacers faced a concerning moment during Tuesday night’s NBA in-season tournament clash against the 76ers when forward Jalen Smith left the game with a head injury. The team promptly announced that Smith was transported to a hospital for evaluation and additional testing.
The specifics of Smith’s condition remain unknown, as neither Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle nor the team’s public relations staff provided an update following the Pacers’ 132-126 victory over the Sixers. As the Pacers prepared to depart Philadelphia on Tuesday night, they are set to resume play on Sunday afternoon with a home game against the Orlando Magic.
The incident occurred in the second quarter when Smith was involved in a collision at the defensive end of the floor while Sixers forward Paul Reed attempted a dunk. The collision resulted in Smith being knocked down, prompting him to leave the floor immediately in the care of Indiana’s trainers. He managed to score five points in 2 minutes and 33 seconds of action before being ruled out for the remainder of the game at halftime. The team, utilizing social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), conveyed that Smith was taken to the hospital “out of an abundance of caution.”
At 23 years old, Smith has been a valuable contributor for the Pacers, averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds across eight games this season. The outcome of the evaluation and any potential impact on his future availability for the team are currently uncertain, emphasizing the need for careful assessment and monitoring following this unfortunate incident.