Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith has been cleared to play in Tuesday’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks, coach Rick Carlisle said just more than an hour before tipoff.

Nesmith was a game-time decision after sustaining a sprained right ankle midway through the third quarter in Game 3. He later returned with seven minutes to play but was largely ineffective.

Carlisle said the decision to play Nesmith was because “he’s doing better than expected.”

Carlisle didn’t pinpoint how many minutes Nesmith could play on Tuesday in a series the Pacers lead 2-1.

“To be determined,” Carlisle said. “Not as of now, but I always watch everybody’s minutes. It’ll be something that in real time, we’ll have to gauge.”

Nesmith was a star in Game 1 when he was a career-best 8 of 9 from 3-point range and scored 30 points. But he struggled the past two games while averaging 10 points.

Nesmith, 25, is averaging 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in 13 postseason games.

–Field Level Media