Aaron Nesmith's Monster Dunk on Chet Holmgren Happened So Fast Mike Breen Missed It

The Pacers produced one highlight in a downer of a fourth quarter.
Aaron Nesmith motions to the Pacers' bench in the fourth quarter of Game 5.
Aaron Nesmith motions to the Pacers' bench in the fourth quarter of Game 5. / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals was a forgettable one for the Indiana Pacers, who saw a valiant comeback effort fizzle out at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder's three-headed monster.

However, there was one highlight worth savoring. It came with just over two minutes to play and the Pacers trailing by 15, their chances rapidly fading. Indiana forward Obi Toppin tried a three-pointer that clanked off the rim—only for forward Aaron Nesmith to stuff it back in over Thunder center Chet Holmgren in the blink of an eye.

Nesmith dunked the ball so quickly, in fact, usually airtight ABC announcer Mike Breen did not even clock that it happened.

"Nesmith finished that, Mike!" color commentator Doris Burke exclaimed.

"It looked like he finished it. What a play!" Breen replied.

The dunk didn't save the Pacers, but it was a phenonemal display of athleticism—and any player dunking on Holmgren is a rare feat indeed.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .