Indiana Pacers forward Jonathan Bender's chronically injured left knee has taken yet another turn for the worse.

Bender will be out indefinitely to allow scar tissue to heal, the latest in a series of injuries.

"It's not good," Bender said after practice Thursday. "The doctor's re-evaluated it and I'm going to sit out for [a while]."

Bender played 11 minutes in Wednesday night's win over the Atlanta Hawks, the first time he'd played since the season opener against Cleveland.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said he didn't have a specific timetable for Bender's recovery, but the team will "have to consider sitting Jonathan out for an extended period of time to allow him to really rehab this knee right."

Bender has been plagued by the injury for years, missing huge chunks of time, then coming back for a few games, only to miss more time.

"We're at a point where it doesn't make sense to yo-yo him in and out and for him to keep having the setbacks he's having," Carlisle said. "We have to approach it a little differently."

"I can't be sitting out a week and a half, come back and have this happen over and over," Bender said.