Aaron Nesmith of the Pacers will play the game 4 vs. Knicks despite ankle sprain – basketball insider
Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith will play Game 4 against the New York Knicks after initial suspicion due to an ankle sprain. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the news.
The injury occurred midway through the third quarter of Game 3, when Nesmith drove to the basket and landed awkwardly. Initially, he was listed as Game 4, and head coach Rick Carlisle said he would be a game decision.
Nesmith has been a key role for the Pacers throughout the playoffs, but especially in the game against the Knicks so far. He scored 30 points in the first game of the series, with 20 points in the fourth quarter, including six threes. He was the main reason Indiana was able to recover the miracle in that game and take the lead in the series.
New York won its own big time back in Game 3, overturning a 20-point deficit and now has the chance to play two straight games in each game.
Game 4 is 8:00 pm ET.
How will Nesmith ankle sprain be fixed?
Now the key is how Nesmith’s ankle is doing well in Game 4. Nesmith did come back after quitting in the third quarter of Game 3 due to a sprained ankle. However, if the Knicks didn’t rush into the lead, the return wouldn’t happen.
That’s how important Nesmith is. On the defensive end, he played in a showdown with Jalen Brunson and could turn his wings toward his wings. Offensively, he consistently knocked out threes, made good cuts on the rim and grabbed the offensive rebound. Bennedict Mathurin saw more minutes in his absence and the impact was far less than the same.
If Nesmith looks slower than usual or tentative attacks and takes his pictures, New York will feel it has an advantage.
Indiana knows that this will bring a huge advantage. With a 2-0 lead in Game 3 and a 20-point lead at home, but now to maintain the home battle? This is a very difficult pill to swallow.
The Knicks still know there is a lot of work to do. It will be very difficult to come back from the 3-1 series deficit, so it is their destiny they hope to avoid on Tuesday night.
