Andrew Nembhard Has ‘Exceeded Expectations’ for Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are aiming to take a 3-2 series lead back home to Indiana when they face the New York Knicks in game five at Madison Square Garden.

While their turnaround to tie the series has been spurred by the play of All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, it was the heroics of Andrew Nembhard in game three which secured their first win of the series; a player whom NBA insider Mark Medina believes has ‘exceeded expectations’ throughout much of his sophomore season.

Swinging the Momentum

Have rallied back from 2-0 down to tie series 2-2

It looks as though we have another classic NBA post-season series in the Pacers-Knicks rivalry on our hands.

Having been faced with the prospect of being down 3-0 in their Eastern Conference semi-final bout against the Knicks, the Pacers took advantage of their opposition’s injury woes, and clawed their way back into the series in games three and four.

While game three was a close contest, which needed a clutch three-pointer from second-year guard Andrew Nembhard to go down to seal the victory, game four was a much easier affair for the Pacers, in which they comfortably sailed to a 121-89 victory, after an all-round team performance led by Tyrese Haliburton.

With Haliburton seeming to have found the form which earned him his first All-Star starting role, and second selection overall, going off for an average of 27.5 points at 54/39/100 shooting splits, five rebounds, six assists and a steal in his last two outings, this could spell trouble for the Knicks, who have had to contend with injuries to three of their five starters, and consequently, have few bench options available to them.

But, the direction of the series will likely be decided by the point-guards, with Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson on the other side of the ball having a historic post-season carrying the depleted Knicks as far as he possibly can, and his insatiable desire to not give up, and Haliburton needing to remain aggressive if the Pacers are going to carve out an advantage.

With a crucial game five match-up to come, this is sure to be a gritty battle between the two rivals as they each seek to take the advantage going into a potential deciding match-up in Indiana later this week, with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals on the line.

Nembhard Has Been a ‘Solid Complimentary Player’

Medina has been impressed by the 2022 NBA Draft second-round selection, Nembhard, and praises the 24-year-old Canadian’s ability to stay composed, especially in the playoffs, but still remain aggressive and physical, hanging about with some of the best players in the league when having to defend them.

Coming Up Clutch in the Playoffs

Dagger with 16 seconds remaining sparked the turn in the tide of the series

Despite this being Nembhard’s first playoff run of his short career so far, his numbers and composed play on the hardwood throughout wouldn’t suggest that was even remotely the case.

Following up on last year’s solid rookie campaign, the Canadian guard has been a consistent mainstay in the Pacers’ rotation, proving to be a valuable asset, seeing 25.0 minutes of action per contest, in which he featured 68 times during the 2023-24 regular season, starting 47 of those outings.

During that span, he averaged 9.2 points at a 49.8 percent shooting clip, a career-high, while he grabbed 2.1 rebounds and dished 4.5 assists, becoming the third-leading distributor on the team.

Throughout this playoff run, though, the former Florida Gator turned Gonzaga Bulldog has stepped up a gear on all fronts, and is posting 12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists, but it is his shooting efficiency which stands out above all, and has shot through the roof in this post-season.

Shooting the ball at a rate of 57.3 percent from the field, a team-high, and knocking down 43.3 percent of his three three-point attempts per outing, Nembhard is also averaging a team-high among players to have played more than five playoff contests played this post-season, with his 66.5 percent true shooting percentage, tied with Ben Sheppard.

However, Nembhard’s minutes are almost double those of his teammate’s (31.6 minutes to 17.9 minutes), and he is shooting 4.5 attempts more per game.

In the clutch, though, the 6-foot-4 guard has stepped up once again, averaging 44.4 percent from the field in the final five minutes of close games this post-season, up from the 41.2 field goal percentage he set in the clutch during the regular-season campaign.

As such, Nembhard has proved instrumental to the Pacers’ glistening post-success so far, with his team now looking to take an advantage home to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, seeking Indiana’s first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2014, and with the Knicks’ injuries plaguing their own post-season, there may be no better chance for Indiana to achieve this unexpected feat than now.

All statistics courtesy of Statmuse, ESPN, NBA.com and Basketball Reference.

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