Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard did not hoist the Larry Bird trophy on Saturday. (That was Eastern Conference finals MVP Pascal Siakam). Nembhard didn’t put up 31 points in the clincher (also Siakam) or hit the 30-plus-foot bomb that turned Gainsbridge Fieldhouse into a madhouse about a minute before the final buzzer. (That was Tyrese Haliburton.) When Indiana fans look back on this Finals run years from now, though, they will remember what Nembhard did in Game 6 against the New York Knicks.
They’ll remember Nembhard’s steals. The man had six of them, five of which led immediately to buckets on the other end. Steals are extremely valuable for any team — you get a stop, plus you get a better-than-average chance at scoring on the other end! — but, for these Pacers, they are gold. Or, perhaps, more accurately: For teams trying to beat these Pacers, they are death. At all times, Indiana’s goal is to turn defense into offense as fast as possible and run their opponents ragged.
They’ll remember Nembhard hounding Jalen Brunson. Nembhard pressured Brunson full-court, got around screens and fought for every inch when the Knicks star, a master at creating space, went at him one-on-one. At certain moments during the conference finals — and during last year’s second-round series between the same two teams — it looked like Brunson was simply too comfortable when going up against Nembhard. This time, Brunson got so frustrated that he headbutted Nembhard. Brunson finished with 19 points, his lowest point total of the series, on 8-for-18 shooting, with five turnovers.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle didn’t know how much time Nembhard was going to spend guarding Brunson. Aaron Nesmith, who was playing through an ankle injury, had the assignment at the beginning of the game, but Carlisle made the switch about 90 seconds in, after Nesmith picked up his first foul. It was “a naturally easy decision,” Carlisle told reporters after the 125-108 victory, and Nembhard “really took the challenge.”
“Drew, he was incredible tonight, man,” Siakam said….
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