INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin will likely miss at least a pair of games after suffering an ankle injury Thursday night.

It happened in the first quarter against the Houston Rockets when Mathurin was driving to the bucket and rolled his right ankle. He fell to the floor in pain; his teammates carried him off the court.

The Pacers said he suffered a right ankle sprain. While the team initially said his return was questionable against Houston, he was later ruled out.

Chosen as the sixth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Mathurin had appeared in every game for the Pacers this season, typically off the bench. He’s averaging 16.9 points per game, second among NBA rookies.

With Mathurin unavailable to anchor the second unit, the Pacers beat the Rockets in overtime.

Indiana has a pair of road games against Detroit on Saturday and Monday. Coach Rick Carlisle doesn’t expect Mathurin to be in the lineup.

“It’s going to look different out there without Benn,” Carlisle said during his postgame news conference. “I certainly don’t believe he’ll play [in] either of the Detroit games. Other guys will have to be ready.”

With the win against Houston, the Pacers improved to 30-37. They’re currently twelfth in the Eastern Conference and within striking distance of the NBA Play-In Tournament.