The Miami Heat will face an Indiana Pacers team missing Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac when the teams meet Friday in their NBA Cup opener, while Simone Fontecchio is Miami’s only player on the latest injury report.
Fontecchio is questionable with an illness. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo and the rest of Miami’s usual starting group were not listed in that report.
Indiana has five players ruled out. Along with Haliburton and Zubac, the Pacers will be without T.J. McConnell, Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy. Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are probable.
The matchup is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST on Oct. 30 at Kaseya Center. Miami enters after earning its first victory of the season in Atlanta, giving the Heat a chance to follow that breakthrough with a home win against a depleted opponent.
Heat vs. Pacers injury report for Friday
The statuses below reflect Thursday afternoon’s reports for Friday’s game. They identify who has been ruled out and who remains under consideration; they are not confirmed starting lineups.
| Team | Player | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Heat | Simone Fontecchio | Questionable — illness |
| Pacers | Tyrese Haliburton | Out |
| Pacers | Ivica Zubac | Out |
| Pacers | T.J. McConnell | Out |
| Pacers | Ben Sheppard | Out |
| Pacers | Johnny Furphy | Out |
| Pacers | Andrew Nembhard | Probable — neck soreness |
| Pacers | Aaron Nesmith | Probable — left hamstring strain |
The Pacers’ own Thursday update lists Nembhard as probable with neck soreness and Nesmith as probable with a left hamstring strain. That is the more recent designation to use for Nembhard rather than the questionable status that appeared in the team’s earlier game preview.
Indiana’s announcement also identifies Haliburton’s injury as a left hamstring strain, Sheppard’s absence as related to left meniscus surgery and Furphy’s absence as related to right ACL repair/surgery.
The five ruled-out players leave Indiana with decisions to make across its rotation, not just at one starting position. For Miami, the much shorter list means the immediate availability question is Fontecchio’s.
A questionable designation leaves his participation unresolved, while the absence of other Heat players from the report gives Erik Spoelstra considerably more continuity to work with heading into Friday.
Is Simone Fontecchio playing against Indiana?
Fontecchio has not been cleared to play in the latest update. He missed Wednesday’s game after it was reported that the illness kept him from traveling to Atlanta.
Thursday’s questionable listing keeps open the possibility that he could return against Indiana, but it does not establish that he will be available. The Heat have not announced a confirmed role or a minutes allocation for him in the reporting cited here.
That distinction matters when looking at Miami’s bench. Getting a player back onto the active list and assigning him a place in the rotation are separate decisions.
Fontecchio’s status should be resolved on its own terms rather than treated as an automatic change to the combinations Spoelstra used in the win over Atlanta.
Fans looking specifically for Antetokounmpo or Adebayo on the injury list will not find either in Thursday’s Heat report. There is also no injury designation for Klay Thompson in that update, although availability alone does not determine who starts or finishes a game.
Haliburton’s absence puts focus on Indiana’s guards
Haliburton’s absence extends a problem Indiana was already dealing with before the Miami matchup. On Wednesday, it was reported that Haliburton was week-to-week with a mild left hamstring strain.
Friday’s out designation confirms he will not return against the Heat. The week-to-week description should not be treated as a specific return date, and there is no need to project his availability for later games to understand the immediate consequence for Miami.
McConnell’s absence compounds the issue because Indiana is missing another point guard. Nembhard’s probable status therefore carries more significance than an isolated name near the bottom of an injury list: His availability would give the Pacers an important option for organizing their offense while two other guards remain sidelined.
For the Heat, the guard absences create an opportunity to test Indiana’s remaining ball-handlers. They do not remove the need to defend a full possession or make the Pacers’ offense predictable simply because several familiar options are unavailable.
What Zubac’s absence means for Bam and Giannis
Without Zubac, Indiana will have to cover its center minutes with other options against a Miami frontcourt coming off a productive performance. The Heat’s previous game provides a specific reason to watch that matchup, beyond the names involved.
Miami’s increased use of pick-and-rolls against Atlanta gave Adebayo and Antetokounmpo clearer ways to participate in the offense. The Heat ran 57 of those actions, with both big men finishing with 24 points in a 129-117 victory.
That is a relevant starting point for Friday, not proof that the same approach will produce the same result. Indiana can use different personnel and coverages, and Miami still has to turn an opponent’s absence into good possessions rather than assume an advantage will take care of itself.
The Heat also should not confuse their healthier injury report with a settled rotation. There is no confirmed starting-lineup change in the updates cited here.
Any projection based on Miami’s previous starters remains a projection until the team announces its five for Friday.
What time is Heat vs. Pacers?
Kaseya Center lists Friday’s NBA Cup group-play game for 8 p.m. EST, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. EST. The start time is 5 p.m. PST for fans following from the West Coast.
The next availability decisions to watch are Fontecchio’s final status and confirmation that Nembhard and Nesmith can play. Miami has its main group off the injury report, while Indiana already knows it must replace five unavailable players as Cup play begins.
