Indiana Pacers rookie Chris Duarte was ruled out of playing Sunday versus the Atlanta Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back set due to a nagging left big toe injury, the team announced.
Duarte has been battling the injury for much of the past month after initially jamming it on Feb. 13 versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. The game on Sunday marked the seventh that Duarte has missed because of the injury, and 15th overall of the season.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle called their back-to-back set particularly tough due to the time zone change coming from San Antonio and the hour lost because of daylight saving time. The Pacers play next on Tuesday as Duarte could be ready to play in that contest.
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Duarte last played on Saturday in a win over the Spurs, producing 15 points, eight rebounds and one assist in 33 minutes of work. Carlisle inserted him back into the starting lineup in that contest and had an efficient outing, shooting 5-of-9 from the field.
The 13th pick has emerged as one of the top first-year players, averaging 13.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and one steal in 54 games. He ranks sixth among all rookies in scoring, fourth in 3-pointers and sixth in field goals.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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