INDIANAPOLIS — Aaron Nesmith engaged with Devin Booker underneath the basket in the restricted area of the paint, determined not to allow the three-time All-Star to go anywhere without him on the sideline out-of-bounds play that would determine the game.
Nesmith lost contact when he had to veer around Kevin Durant’s attempt at a screen at the right elbow of the free-throw line, but he was right on top of Booker when he got the pass at the edge of the halfcourt logo to such an extent he actually tripped over Booker when the Suns guard fell. Even with just 3.4 seconds left on the clock at the time the ball was inbounded, Nesmith knew that didn’t mean it was over, so he gathered himself, turned around and chased Booker to the top of the key where he got a hand up into Booker’s hands to alter the shot so that it didn’t so much as touch the rim.
Booker fell to the floor and looked for a foul call that never came as Nesmith kept running along the sideline, pumping his fists and flexing as the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd showered him with ear-splitting delirium before he turned to halfcourt to chest-bump any Pacers teammate who happened to get in his vicinity.