INDIANAPOLIS — Pacers second-year wing Johnny Furphy will be available for Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets after missing a month with a left ankle sprain going back to the Pacers’ Nov. 3 loss to the Bucks, coach Rick Carlisle said in his pre-game press conference.
Furphy has appeared in just three games this season, scoring eight points on 3 of 6 shooting including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. With the Pacers short-handed, Carlisle said the 20-year-old Furphy will get plenty of opportunity to get work going forward. The 6-9 wing from Australia who spent a year at Kansas has shown impressive athleticism and physicality in limited action with the Pacers as well as with the Mad Ants in the G League last year and with the Pacers’ NBA Summer League squad.
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“He adds depth and adds a different kind of player than we have,” Carlisle said. “He’s a great runner. He’s a great rebounder. He’s a terrific finisher. He’s a very good defensive player, very solid. All of the elements of his skill set are improving. He needs to be on the floor. This recovery was over a month now. We’ve been very careful with it because it’s not just a matter of when can you get him out there, we have to get him out there at the right time when he’s passed all the tests to the best that he can. We’ve got to watch the minutes carefully. This will be a new beginning, and I believe he can add a different element.”
Furphy has been anxiously waiting the chance to return. He took part in a practice with the Noblesville Boom over the weekend as he was ramping up.
“It’s very exciting,” Furphy said. “Obviously it’s been a longer rehab than I anticipated, but I’m very excited to be back. There’s been a lot of tests and different things, working with balance and I think I’m ready. It was a combination of testing it out, trying to replicate game scenarios, being able to push off and jump off.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Johnny Furphy injury update: Pacers forward will play vs Denver