Pacers get bad news on Aaron Nesmith’s injury vs. Knicks
· Yahoo Sports
INDIANAPOLIS -- Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith is listed as questionable with right knee soreness on the injury report for Friday's NBA Cup home game against the Knicks after the knee took him out of Wednesday's game against the Wizards.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Nesmith was dealing with pain behind the knee, but said the hope was that the injury would not be major and he would be considered day-to-day, so the questionable status seems to stay along those lines.
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Nesmith finished with just two points in Wednesday's win on 1 of 6 shooting, missing all four of his 3-point attempts. Nesmith -- who has started 195 games with the Pacers over the past five seasons since he was acquired from the Celtics in summer of 2022 -- is averaging 11.7 points per game this season, but is shooting 36.9% from the floor and 30% from 3-point range. He's a career 44.9% shooter from the field and 38% from beyond the arc.
Nesmith was a very important piece for the Pacers in their playoff series wins over the Knicks in 2024 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and 2025 in the Eastern Conference Finals. His defensive performance on All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson helped the Pacers put the Knicks away in seven games in 2024. In 2025, his 30 points and eight 3-pointers in Game 1 of the series fueled a historic comeback win.
If Nesmith is out, the Pacers could go a number of different directions with Friday's starting lineup. Point guard Andrew Nembhard, power forward Pascal Siakam and center Ivica Zubac would take up three of the spots. The Pacers will likely keep wing Kelly Oubure Jr. in the lineup after he posted 14 points and four steals in Wednesday's win. They could start point guard Braden Smith to have a secondary ball-handler with Nembhard, they could start Quenton Jackson in his natural shooting guard position, or they could add another forward such as Jalen Slawson or Jarace Walker to run out a bigger starting five. If Nesmith does play, the Pacers would likely use Nesmith and Oubre at the 2 and 3.
Veteran point guard T.J. McConnell has been upgraded to probable after he was listed as questionable in each of the last three games after a return from a right hamstring strain. The Pacers have had McConnell on a minutes restriction, but he played just under 14 minutes in Wednesday's win and played in both halves.
All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton (left hamstring strain), guard Ben Sheppard (left meniscus tear) and forward Johnny Furphy (ACL tear) are still listed as out. Carlisle said Wednesday Haliburton is making progress but would likely need another 10 days to return. Sheppard and Furphy are out for longer terms after surgery.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers get bad news on Aaron Nesmith’s injury vs. Knicks