INDIANAPOLIS — Pacers coach Rick Carlisle declined Saturday to provide a timetable on a return for point guard Andrew Nembhard, who will miss Saturday night’s game against the Grizzlies with a left shoulder strain. Nembhard apparently suffered the injury when his arm was tangled with that off Thunder MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Pacers’ double-overtime loss to Oklahoma City on Thursday night.

Notably, Nembhard is with the team for the road trip; sometimes players stay home for injury recovery if there is no chance of them playing while the team is on the road.

Carlisle did say that forward Johnny Furphy was unlikely to play due to a sore left foot. Furphy, listed as questionable on the initial injury report, was ruled out for the game after Carlisle’s pre-game press conference.

Nembhard’s absence makes an already difficult situation for the Pacers at point guard even more difficult. The Pacers are missing All-Star Tyrese Haliburton — out for the year with an Achilles tendon tear suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals — and they will be without veteran backup T.J. McConnell (hamstring strain) until at least Nov. 9 according to Carlisle. Rookie guard Kam Jones (back) is also out until at least Nov. 9. Two-way contract guard Quenton Jackson, who can handle either backcourt position, is also out with a strained hamstring though his return may come sooner.

With all of them out, the Pacers are expected to use Ben Sheppard and Taelon Peter as point guards, though both are more naturally wings. Sheppard has at least some experience at the position, having played it at times in college at Belmont.

“It’s different at this level, there’s a learning curve obviously,” Sheppard said. “But my coaches and teammates make it easy to slide into that role. I’m asked to run the floor, run the corners, do all that type of stuff when I’m not playing point guard so this is a different role for me. Coming off screens, leading the offense, it’s kind of a learning curve for me but it’s good.”

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