'I just went out there and got it': Isaiah Jackson on his block of Victor Wembanyama

INDIANAPOLIS -- Nobody on the Pacers' roster appreciated Isaiah Jackson's block of Victor Wembanyama nearly as much as Aaron Nesmith did.

Nesmith, the Pacers' 6-5 reserve forward, was defending Wembanyama on the first play of the second quarter as part of the Pacers strategy to play small but physical, knowing they didn't have anyone close to the 7-4 Wembanyama in height but could, instead, match his physicality with shorter but more muscular players. Nesmith figured out just how tough a cover Wembanyama would be when he posted Nesmith up just outside the paint on the left wing, faked left with one dribble and then turned over his right shoulder and had a clear lane for a left-handed dunk.

But just as Nesmith thought he was about to get blown by, Pacers center Isaiah Jackson left his man, got his hands above the window on the backboard and swatted away Wembanyama's dunk attempt, making for a photo on the Pacers' social media accounts that almost looked like a renaissance painting.

"Isaiah saved me," Nesmith said. "I was seeing white. When (Wembanyama) turned up and he went to go dunk the ball I was like, 'Oh, no.' Then Isaiah just came out of nowhere.

"Heaven sent."

Jackson said he saw it as doing his job, which he only has so many opportunities to do. Leaping ability and length are the 6-10 center's two most important attributes, so it was certainly his job use them against a player of unheard of size and skill who had 5 inches on everybody on the Pacers' roster.

"It happened so fast," Jackson said. "That's something I'm sort of used to doing, blocking shots. But he's a great athlete, very athletic. I felt like I just went up there and got it. Knowing what I've seen from highlights and stuff, I knew he was going to try to dunk it, so I just went out there and got it."

The block was arguably the most impressive play in the Pacers 152-111 win in which they matched the franchise record for points in an NBA game -- they scored 177 in a game in April of 1970 when they were still a part of the ABA -- but it was just part of a strong performance for Jackson. The third-year center isn't getting much action this season, but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle applauded him for staying ready.

Jackson entered the season in a three-way race with Jalen Smith and Daniel Theis for the backup center position behind Myles Turner. Smith won the job, Carlisle said, and he's earned the right to maintain it with efficiency on both ends of the floor. Smith is playing just 16.5 minutes per game behind Turner but is averaging 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 73.7% from the floor and 66.7% from beyond the 3-point arc, hitting 8 of 12 3-pointers so far. His 13.5 rebounds per 36 minutes are by far the best figure on the team and he's also scoring 24.5 points per 36 minutes.

Smith's performance puts Jackson in the Pacers' third unit without much hope for moving up, but injuries happen and so does foul trouble. Jackson's appeared in just three games so far this season but averaged 15 minutes in those games. On Monday he posted seven points on 3 of 3 shooting, three rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes.

"What he did last night was one of the most impressive things I've seen," Carlisle said. "By that I'm not just talking about the blocked shot on Victor. I'm talking about the way he has kept himself ready, the way he has continued to work, coming in on off days and keeping his edge. There have been two instances where we've had major foul trouble with both of our centers in the first half. He came in against Washington and did a good job, and last night he was terrific. He was terrific. It was seamless."

Since Jackson was drafted in 2021 and sent to the Pacers from the Lakers in a draft-day deal, Jackson has seen his path to playing time constantly altered. He found himself starting at center early in the 2022-23 season when Turner was out with an injury and was the backup 5 man until the Pacers moved Smith into the second unit from power forward. Jackson saw his playing time decrease so much that he welcomed a brief demotion to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants because he knew he'd get on the floor. He came back energized and spent the rest of the season trading appearances with Smith.

Jackson had an inspired summer as well, putting weight on and rebounding exceptionally well in the NBA Summer League, but Smith simply had a better summer.

"I'm just working," Jackson said. "I've been in here on off days, working, getting some extra reps before the game. Days I know I'm not playing, getting in extra work. My condition has been good. ... It's hard but I think being here with these guys, staying grounded, talking with my mentor and stuff, that has a lot to do with me staying grounded, waiting my turn and being patient."

It also helps that even though he isn't getting much playing time at the moment, the Pacers picked up his club option for the fourth and final year of his rookie scale contract, which will make sure he's paid over $4.4 million in the 2024-25 season.

Jackson won't turn 22 until January, and the Pacers still clearly have patience for his growth, though it's not clear at this point what his long-term path to making an impact is with Smith and Turner also under contract for 2024-25.

"I think it means a lot," Jackson said. "Indiana, I think they believe in me. They still got the same goal I got, which is just getting better. They know I'm young and they know I got a lot to work on, but they also know I can come in and affect the game like not a lot of people can do, just being a lob threat, being there defensively."

Carlisle added: "This is where professionally guys grow. This is very meaningful. I'm really proud of him."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers Isaiah Jackson on his block of Victor Wembanyama