The Indiana Pacers have been dominating the playoffs ever since they had their first game. Now, as they compete in the conference finals, their form has been ever so sublime. However, in what looked like a rare slip up, the Pacers conceded a loss in the Game 3. With the New York Knicks scoring a 106-100 victory, the series has come alive now with the Knicks trailing 1-2. Meanwhile, as the Pacers would want to get back on the winning track, they might have a problem in Aaron Nesmith to deal with.
Nesmith has been one of the pivotal pieces of the Pacers’ outfit. Unfortunately, during the third quarter of Game 3, Nesmith suffered an ankle injury. With significant concerns growing over his present diagnosis, head coach Rick Carlisle had quite a serious take on the matter.
“Yeah, it’s certainly a factor… He was doing things in the hallway to get moving again. And then I got the word that he was good to go back in, that he was moving without limitation at that point in time. So rather than wait, the best thing to do is get him back in there so that you know he didn’t stiffen up anymore. But I haven’t studied the film yet and obviously we’ll know more tomorrow,” said Carlisle.
Aaron Nesmith looks like he has a lateral ankle sprain on this play right here
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) May 26, 2025
This could be SIGNIFICANT in Game 3 pic.twitter.com/io8IqgUzKh
Now, one silver lining for the fans would be Nesmith did come back to finish off the game after the injury. But the Pacers’ star looked significantly out of form as he only scored 8 points, converting just 2 of his 8 shooting attempts. Meanwhile, the fans would pray for a fit Nesmith to turn up in Game 4. Just like he did in the very first game.
Aaron Nesmith Leads Indiana Pacers To Victory
The very first game of a final series is of utmost importance. And setting the tone right for the Pacers was Aaron Nesmith. While the New York Knicks came hard at the Pacers, Nesmith made sure that he got his team over the line. Playing the hero, Nesmith dropped 30 points on the night. And if that was not enough, he also supplemented his performance further with a couple of rebounds.
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AARON NESMITH TONIGHT —
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 22, 2025
30 POINTS
9/13 FGM
8/9 3PM
4/4 FTM
GAME OF HIS LIFE
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/XfSfmpcWye
And he was not alone. Aiding him in his quest was Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers’ star came in with 31 vital points that helped the Pacers negate the Knicks’ threat with a 138-135 victory. Haliburton also dropped 4 rebounds and a whopping 11 assists to take his team through.
Thus, with concerns rising, it now remains to be seen how well Aaron Nesmith can recover before the next game.
