Tyrese Haliburton discusses the Lakers’ free-throw line advantage
Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton discusses the Lakers’ 43-16 edge in free throw attempts in the Pacers loss to Los Angeles on Sunday.
LOS ANGELES — Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith will miss Monday’s 10:30 p.m. ET game against the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena with a bruised right knee after a collision with Lakers wing Cam Reddish in the second quarter of Sunday’s game left him hobbled, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in his pre-game press conference on Monday.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after Sunday’s game that he was “concerned” about Nesmith’s condition as he also appeared to take a shot to the head when he landed on the ground but that he wouldn’t know anything about his condition until Monday. Nesmith still played just over 10 minutes in the second half with his minutes limited as much because of foul trouble as because of his injury as he picked up his fifth foul early in the third quarter. At the end of the game, as is usually the case, he didn’t discuss how he was feeling at any length.
“I’m alright,” Nesmith said. “I’ll be alright.”
Nesmith, the Pacers’ starting small forward, is averaging 12.3 points per game this season on 49.8% shooting including 44% from 3-point range. He’s one of the Pacers’ top defenders and he drew the assignment of guarding LeBron James in Sunday’s loss. James was 1 of 6 from the floor in the first quarter on Sunday but immediately started attacking Nesmith after the injury and found an easier time scoring when Nesmith was off the floor.
With Nesmith out, the Pacers announced that they are awarding rookie guard Ben Sheppard his first career start. The No. 26 pick in the 2023 draft out of Belmont is averaging just 4.2 points per game on the season, but he’s averaging 6.5 per game since the All-Star break and shooting 46.6% from the floor and 37.3% from 3-point range in that stretch. He’s also become one of the Pacers most trustworthy perimeter defenders, entering the game off the bench to take on the roles Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard tend to take on.
Gregory Daniels is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, he explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture. Gregory enjoys staying ahead of the curve and sharing emerging trends with his readers.
