The Indiana Pacers are battling it out against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the NBA Finals and looking to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. If the Pacers do manage to take firm control of the NBA Finals, a big reason for that will be the defense Andrew Nembhard has played on Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
During the NBA Finals, Andrew Nembhard has been tasked with playing defense on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the MVP of the regular season. It obviously hasn’t been an easy task. Gilgeous-Alexander is currently averaging 32.0 points in the Finals while shooting 47.9 percent from the field. But during Game 4, one particular clip went viral showing Nembhard playing tremendous defense on Gilgeous-Alexander for one possession.
As of publication, Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field, but the Pacers held a slim lead over the Thunder early in the fourth quarter. For the Pacers to hold on, they’ll need more defensive possessions like that from Nembhard.
Now in his third season with the Pacers, Andrew Nembhard has become one of the team’s most important players. The No. 31 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Nembhard has fit well in the backcourt alongside Tyrese Haliburton.
This season, he appeared in 65 games at a little over 28 minutes per game. He averaged a career-high 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 45.8 percent shooting from the field, 29.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 79.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
In the playoffs, Nembhard has been putting up 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals with splits of 47.1 percent shooting from the field, 45.8 percent shooting from the three-point line and 77.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
So far in Game 4, Nembhard had ten points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in a little over 29 minutes. He was shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-4 from the three-point line.
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