CLEVELAND, OHIO – MAY 13: Aaron Nesmith #23 of the Indiana Pacers reacts against the Cleveland … More
The first two tilts of the Eastern Conference Finals captured what makes this Indiana Pacers team special. Their combination of conventional wisdom and flare for the dramatics has them two wins from playing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
A rotation that extends 10-deep, with head coach Rick Carlisle willing to deploy an 11th individual, outlasted the New York Knicks’ razor-thin rotation.
Through the first two games of this series, the New York Knicks primarily leaned on Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride when turning to their bench. Beyond them, Cameron Payne was averaging 7.2 minutes this postseason at that juncture.
Maybe the detriment to a New York team that opened the Eastern Conference Finals with a pair of losses at Madison Square Garden is overblown.
Brushing it off after the Knicks lost Game 2, 114-109, Tom Thibodeau said of the subject, “Both games came down to the last play, so it’s whatever you think it is.”
Still, it seems like more than a coincidence that the fresher team outexecuted its more fatigued opposition down the stretch.
In the series opener, New York squandered a 14-point lead with under three minutes remaining. Teams ahead by at least that much in the final 2:50 of the fourth quarter or overtime of a postseason contest in the play-by-play era were previously 977-0, per Nate Duncan of Dunc’d On Prime.
Down 2-0, the Knicks extended their rotation, receiving contributions from Delon Wright and Landry Shamet, who helped erase a 10-point deficit in the final frame of a needed 106-100 win in Indiana.
That also appeared to be an acknowledgment from Thibodeau that relying on seven players and change was catching up to them at this stage in the playoffs.
Pacers’ injury report provides uplifting development
A turning point in Game 3 unfolded when Aaron Nesmith’s right foot initially landed on Jalen Brunson’s. The fifth-year wing sprained his ankle, forcing him to the locker room.
When Nesmith exited, the Pacers were in firm control. The hosts held a 70-57 advantage with 6:06 left in the third quarter. He returned to a team trailing 89-88 with 7:03 remaining.
His absence forced them to play without the individual primarily responsible for guarding Brunson. Offensively, it deprived them of a three-point shooter. He also finished the night as Indiana’s leading rebounder, snagging seven.
That Nesmith rejoined the fold to help the Pacers attempt to seize a commanding 3-0 lead signaled he would probably play in Game 4. That news is now official, per the team’s latest injury report.
The former lottery pick of the Boston Celtics is grabbing 5.3 rebounds per contest in this series, tied with Obi Toppin for the most on Indiana. Nesmith is averaging 1.3 steals and blocks, ranking second on the team through the first three tilts in the Eastern Conference Finals. He’s also the Pacers’ third-leading scorer in this series. He’s averaging 16.7 points against the Knicks.
For the postseason, Nesmith is producing 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and nearly 1.0 steals and blocks per game.
He’s converting on 53.5 percent of the 5.5 three-point attempts he’s hoisting. That includes a series-opening victory, where he became the first player in NBA history to make six threes in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.
The 25-year-old wing is also doing a commendable job of making life difficult for Brunson when New York’s on offense.
In Game 3, in Nesmith’s absence, Indiana crumbled. The Knicks deserve the lion’s share of the credit for that. And one injury doesn’t tell the entire story. But having him in the lineup isn’t just comforting; for the Pacers, it’s essential to the hopes of returning to Madison Square Garden on the verge of the NBA Finals.
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