Aaron Nesmith suited up for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals despite being a game-time decision, helping the Indiana Pacers secure a 130-121 victory over the New York Knicks.
Speaking postgame, the 25-year-old detailed the effort it took to play through his ankle injury.
“Round-the-clock treatment. Did whatever I could to get my ankle ready, and I just had to thug it out,” Nesmith said.
He logged 32 minutes, scoring 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting while adding three rebounds and two steals, contributing on both ends.
The forward described the intense rehab process, saying, “Right after the game, treatment started. Red light therapy, Game Readys, stem machines, hyperbaric chamber—anything you can think of.”
Nesmith credited his mother for helping with ice, but emphasized the stakes outweighed any pain: “It’s May. You’re the final four here. Just what’s the code about—unless you’re dead, you’re playing.”
“Exactly,” he answered. “When I got hurt, they came up to me, they were like, ‘We want to see how you feel.’ I was like, ‘I don’t care how I feel about it.’”
He explained he couldn’t allow himself to miss the opportunity: “This is what we all live for… I can’t miss these moments.”
Nesmith also described the energy that came from a highlight dunk in transition: “You have the opportunity to dunk the basketball, got to do it. You make plays like that, crowd gets into you, you get a little momentum. It’s always good for the team.”
Even when absorbing contact, he refused to hesitate, saying, “Next play… You dwell on one play, you’re not paying attention to the next—you make mistakes.”
When asked about the grind of playing two-way basketball, Nesmith acknowledged the toll: “Yeah, it’s tiring… I was short on a lot of my jumpers today. But it’s constant work.”
He also praised veteran leadership in the locker room, calling James Johnson “one of the best teammates I’ve ever had” and highlighting Bennedict Mathurin’s preparation: “After our loss in Game 3… he’s in there shooting, working out, making sure that he’s ready.”
Indiana’s Game 4 win, led by Tyrese Haliburton’s historic triple-double, gave the Pacers a 3-1 series edge.
Haliburton tallied 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, four steals, and no turnovers, becoming the first player to record such a playoff stat line since 1978.
With Game 5 set for Thursday at Madison Square Garden, Nesmith said he’ll continue treatment: “We’ll continue to do that and be ready again.”
The Pacers are now one victory away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years.
