Aaron Nesmith lays down an epic dunk over the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren
To say that the 2025-26 season did not go anywhere according to plan for Indiana Pacers would be the understatement of the century. It’s tempting to think how differently things would have gone for them this year had they not lost Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. They might have won the NBA title instead of the Oklahoma City Thunder. But Indiana has instead been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season.
Regardless, the Pacers always play with a chip on their shoulder, and the contest against the Thunder always seems to bring out the best in this tough squad. On Friday night, the two competed in a rematch of the 2025 NBA Finals and 10-35. Pacers somehow came out on top117-114, capped off a 46-point night by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Just to put into perspective how locked in the Pacers were, Aaron Nesmith threw down lively jam over Thunder center Chet Holmgren, putting him on the poster, to extend Indiana’s lead to 12, 105-93, with just over five minutes left in the game.
Aaron Nesmith with a MEAN throw 😤
— Pacers Nation (@PacersNationCP) January 24, 2026
Nesmith is a prime example of someone who thrives in big games, and he added 17 points, five rebounds and five assists on the night to help the Pacers in their winning effort.
Pacers rise against nemesis Thunder in 2025 NBA Finals
It was in the first game of the 2025-26 NBA season for the Pacers where it looked like they wouldn’t be as bad as they had been. After all, they pushed the defending champion Thunder to overtime despite Halliburton’s absence.
But that appears to be an isolated case of the Pacers simply getting up for a matchup against their NBA Finals foe. They proved on Friday night that it was not a one-off. Andrew Nembhardt played inspired basketball against OKC, going 27-7-11 in the game-winning effort, while Jerras Walker, Pascal Siakam and Micah Potter also played with heart.
2026-01-24 06:41:00
