Aaron Nesmith Says 'I Didn’t Really Realize What I Was Doing in the Moment' vs. Knicks

Indiana Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith reflected on his historic performance following the Pacers' 138-135, come-from-behind road win over the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday.

According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Nesmith suggested he didn't fully understand the enormity of what he accomplished until after the fact, saying: "It's unreal—it's probably the best feeling in the world. I didn't really realize what I was doing in the moment."

Nesmith finished with 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 8-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. That was impressive in and of itself, but the timing of his makes is what set him apart.

Six of Nesmith's eight trifectas were sunk in the fourth quarter, making him the first player in NBA history to make six threes in the fourth quarter of a playoff game, per NBA Communications:

Understandably, much of the focus was on Tyrese Haliburton following Game 1, as his dramatic buzzer beater sent Game 1 to overtime.

However, Nesmith made all six of his fourth-quarter three-pointers in the final 4:45 of regulation, which helped Indiana overcome a 15-point deficit in less than five minutes of game time.

Haliburton praised Nesmith's three-point outburst, calling it "special," and crediting him with getting the Pacers back in the game:

Throughout the season, it can be argued that Nesmith has been something of a forgotten man in Indiana since he largely played in the shadow of the star trio of Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner.

Nesmith averaged a relatively modest 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game during the regular season, but there is no question that he was an important member of the supporting cast and a big reason for the Pacers' success.

Even so, the 25-year-old's performance in Game 1 essentially came out of nowhere, as he was averaging 14.6 points per contest over the Pacers' first 10 playoff games.

If Nesmith can find a way to parlay Wednesday's performance into more like it moving forward, the Pacers won't only be a threat to reach the NBA Finals, but they will be a threat to win their first-ever NBA championship as well.