Carlisle 'not sure' on Furphy return for season opener

• Australian Johnny Furphy was a rookie when the Pacers went to the NBA Finals last season
• The athletic wing is expected to play a bigger role for Indiana in season 2025-26
• Furphy was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle admits he's unsure if rising Australian wing and highlight reel Johnny Furphy will recover from an ankle injury in time to feature in the team's season opener against NBA Finals rivals Oklahoma City Thunder on October 24.

Furphy did not play for Indiana in their pre-season clash against San Antonio after suffering a left ankle strain in Sunday’s pre-season game against Oklahoma City.

The Melbourne and Basketball Australia Centre Of Excellence product has become famous for his thunderous in-game dunks, especially after his viral highlight against the Chicago Bulls at NBA Summer League, and had another one in the game against the Thunder.

He is considered questionable for the Pacers’ season opener but Rick Carlisle, who described the injury as “not super serious”, said he didn't have a firm timeline on Furphy's return to the line-up.

“Not sure how long,” Carlisle said.

“There’s a chance they could be back for the opening of the season, but I don’t know how big of a chance.”

The injury, although not serious, is a hurdle Furphy would be wanting to jump over quickly with the 20-year-old in line for an increased role for the Pacers this season after injuries to several key players, including superstar Tyrese Haliburton and most recently TJ McConnell, who is set to miss a month with an injured hamstring.

Indiana have one more pre-season game also against San Antonio on Saturday.