Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers will have a golden opportunity to eliminate the New York Knicks and secure a spot in the NBA Finals with a win in Game 5 on Thursday. However, the team is facing uncertainty around the availability of key starter Aaron Nesmith, who is listed as questionable due to a right ankle sprain.
Nesmith, currently on a three-year, $33,000,000 contract, sustained the injury during Game 3. He briefly exited to the locker room in visible discomfort but later returned to action, though he appeared limited, particularly while defending Jalen Brunson in the closing minutes. He was initially listed as questionable for Game 4 but was eventually cleared to play.
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His contributions in Game 4 were critical as his defense on Brunson and timely shot-making played a major role in the Pacers’ victory that pushed them to a 3-1 series lead. After the game, Nesmith shared that he did everything possible to get himself physically ready and be there for his team when it mattered most.
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"Round the clock treatment. Did whatever I could to get my ankle ready. And (pauses) … you know, I just had to thug it out," Nesmith told reporters.
Nesmith played 32 minutes in Game 4 and stuffed the stat sheet with a dazzling all-round performance. He finished with 16 points on 5 of 9 shooting, including 2 of 6 from beyond the arc, along with recording three rebounds, one assists and two steals.
Aaron Nesmith's contribution has been huge for Indiana Pacers
Aaron Nesmith has been a game-changer for the Indiana Pacers throughout the playoffs. The former Boston Celtics forward has elevated his impact with elite perimeter defense and scorching-hot shooting from beyond the arc. If the postseason ended today, Nesmith would hold the highest three-point percentage (51.9%) in NBA playoff history for any player with at least 40 made threes.
His defensive presence has been just as impressive. Nesmith has consistently taken on the challenge of guarding the opposition's top scorer and delivered. Take Game 4 against the Knicks, Jalen Brunson finished with 31 points, but only 10 of those came in the 30 minutes he was matched up against Nesmith, where he shot just 3 of 13 from the field.
In stark contrast, when defended by anyone else, Brunson exploded for 21 points in just seven minutes, going a perfect 6 of 6 from the floor. Therefore, if the Pacers forward is ruled out of Game 5, it would give the Knicks a significant advantage.
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