May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) celebrates during the second half of game five against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Pacers' Aaron Nesmith Called 'Second Coming of Steph Curry'

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated May 22, 2025 5:56 PM ET

The Indiana Pacers had one of the all-time comebacks in NBA history on Wednesday night. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana stunned the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

After finding themselves down nine with 51 seconds left, the Pacers mounted a furious comeback to send the game to overtime. Aaron Nesmith was the biggest reason why it got to that point.

Nesmith had the best game of his career, hitting eight of nine from beyond the three-point arc. In fact, he hit three of them in the final minute of regulation.

It was one of the best moments in recent Pacers history, and Nesmith had 30 points. He was so good that hosts of First Take called him the "second coming of Steph Curry".

.@stephenasmith is "sick to [his] stomach" over the Knicks' Game 1 loss pic.twitter.com/EE0jkpK1bI
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 22, 2025

Indiana has loved Nesmith for a while because of what he has been able to do on the defensive side of the ball. He has turned into their best perimeter defender in the last couple of years.

Nesmith has not only turned into an ace defender, but he has also shown that he is an incredible three-point shooter. He has turned into one of the best 3-and-D guys in the entire league.

While it's unlikely that Nesmith will have another performance like this in the playoffs, he is still going to be a key member of this Pacers team for the next few games.

Not only was Nesmith tasked with guarding the Knicks' best player, but he had to carry a massive offensive load in Game 1. It was truly an incredible performance.

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Indiana is going to need to play better in Game 2 if it wants to take both games in New York. They can't play that poorly on the defensive end of the court if they expect to win that one.

If Nesmith puts on another Curry-like performance, it may not matter. This team seems like it might have a team of destiny vibe to it.

So far in the playoffs, Nesmith is averaging 16 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

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