Turner's Absence Polishes His Image

Myles Turner practiced with the Pacers on Sunday. If all goes well in Monday's workout, he'll likely play when the Pacers meet Phoenix at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday.

That qualifies as more than a good thing for a team trying to keep pace with the leaders in the Eastern Conference. It's absolutely essential, as the results during Turner's absences this season have proved.

The Pacers are 2-3 when playing without Turner this season. Although the caliber of the opponent obviously factors into the record, the link between the record and his status can't be denied – not just in the result, but in the margin of the result. They lost at home to San Antonio by 11 points on Nov. 23, and then at…