The Indiana Pacers have been shocking the world of late. Indiana currently paces the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, 2-0, in the two teams’ ongoing semifinal series.
Despite having coughed up much of a 20-point lead in Game 2, the Cavaliers still looked to be in the driver’s seat with a seven-point lead with 58 seconds remaining in regulation.
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Three-time All-Star Pacers power forward Pascal Siakam grabbed a quick foul from All-Star Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen and had a chance to make the bout a two-possession game with some free throws, but missed both.
That’s when swingman Aaron Nesmith proved why he’s the secret sauce of this series, swooping in and tipping in Siakam’s second missed foul attempt to not waste the free throws entirely.
Aaron Nesmith : 23 points (8-13 shooting, 5-8 from 3 & 2-2 from the FT line), 4 rebounds & 3 blocks in 33 minutes pic.twitter.com/lDXyERtzQj
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) May 7, 2025
His comrade, 3-and-D center Myles Turner, applauded the effort but was hardly surprised, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
Tyrese Haliburton was waiting for just the right moment to pull out what I’ll call the Pedro Cerrano celebration — which will probably get him fined. Can’t think of a better time than a comeback that gutsy in Cleveland: https://t.co/b5OICMiIeh
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) May 7, 2025
“I expect nothing less from him [Nesmith],” Turner said, before calling out general NBA fans for underestimating Nesmith and the team at large. “He makes plays like that all the time. People don’t really watch us play, so this might be a shock to some people, but that’s the way Aaron Nesmith plays basketball.”
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The 64-win Cavaliers were widely expected to cakewalk through this series, and although injuries have played an outsized role in Indiana’s surprise success, the team has also looked unquestionably terrific.
With the series now pivoting to Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Cavaliers likely missing All-Stars Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, plus sixth man forward De’Andre Hunter for another game, the Pacers find themselves firmly in control.
“It’s a thing of beauty right now. We’re playing some great basketball,” Turner said. “There’s always time on the clock. That’s what we keep telling ourselves. We know how our pressure wears on teams.”
Turner, an unrestricted free agent this summer, is also likely adding big bucks to his next contract with his terrific two-way play in these playoffs. The 6-foot-11 Texas product is averaging 17.1 points on .506/.375/.839 shooting splits, 6.1 rebounds (a fairly low number for a big guy because he often plays away from the basket), 2.6 blocks, 1.4 assists and 0.9 steals a night.
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Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Trolls NBA Player Ballot After Playoff Win
Pacers Have Massive Advantage in Postseason They Didn’t Have Last Year
For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, head on over to Indiana Pacers on SI.
