Aaron Nesmith was cleared on the injury report Friday evening after being listed day-to-day with a left hamstring issue. The Pacers get a wing back for their game at Miami while six other players are out.
What happened
Aaron Nesmith was cleared on the official injury report at 7:10 PM ET on Friday, Oct. 30, less than an hour before Indiana tips off at Miami. His previous status was day-to-day. The report gave no new detail and no comment. His status has gone back and forth all week with the left hamstring. He was listed day-to-day on Monday, Oct. 26. He was cleared and then listed again on Tuesday, Oct. 27, and the same thing happened on Wednesday, Oct. 28. He was day-to-day again on Thursday, Oct. 29, before Friday's clearance.
What it means for the Pacers
Indiana plays at Miami on Friday at 8:00 PM ET. The Pacers are 2-3, the 10th seed, and have lost two straight. Nesmith is averaging 13.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.8 minutes through four games. The results have not followed: Indiana is 1-3 with him and 1-0 without him. The rest of the injury report is long. Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, Ivica Zubac, T.J. McConnell, Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy are all out. Without Nesmith, Pascal Siakam has averaged 24.0 points in 32.1 minutes, Andrew Nembhard 16.5 in 32.7, Kelly Oubre Jr. 9.0 in 24.0, Jarace Walker 5.6 in 21.0 and Quenton Jackson 5.0 in 18.3.
What to watch
The main question is whether the clearance holds. He has been cleared twice this week and listed again the next day, so the next injury report matters. No minutes limit has been announced. Watch how much he plays in Miami and whether the hamstring shows up on the next report. With six teammates out, Indiana needs his minutes on the wing, and his workload against the Heat will show how much the team trusts the hamstring.
Is Aaron Nesmith playing at Heat on Friday?
He was cleared on the official injury report at 7:10 PM ET on Friday, ahead of the 8:00 PM ET tipoff in Miami. No minutes limit has been announced.
When will Aaron Nesmith be back?
He is cleared as of Friday's injury report after being day-to-day with a left hamstring issue. He has been cleared and listed again twice this week, so the next report will show whether he stays available.