Aaron Nesmith needed every kind of treatment imaginable to get his right ankle ready for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals after spraining it in Game 3.
“It took a lot,” Nesmith told reporters at NBA Finals Media Day on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. “It was pretty much rehab every minute of that day. It was cold tub, game-ready, hyperbaric chambers, it was red light therapy. It was manual wave, it was shock wave. Anything you could name we kinda threw it at the ankle, but there was no chance I was missing that game.”
Nesmith gritted through 32 minutes in Game 4 but was held to 15 minutes in Game 5 and 19 minutes in Game 6. He acknowledged his ankle was a little more stiff, and he got in foul trouble with five fouls in Game 6. But the Pacers clinching in six gave them five days to recover. Nesmith said that time was quite helpful.
“I needed ’em,” Nesmith said. “I was looking forward to these days off. I took ’em, and I’ll be ready.”
Nesmith is averaging 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in these playoffs. His 30-point performance in Game 1 against the Knicks was critical in the Pacers’ comeback win. He’s shooting 50.3% from the floor and 50% from 3-point range in the series.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith says ankle ready for NBA Finals: ‘I was looking forward to these days off’
Reporting by Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
