Andrew Nembhard

The wait for his first bucket may not have ended until the 47th minute of his 48-minute duel in Game Three against the New York Knicks. But, as Andrew Nembhard would soon learn, in the postseason, that’s often all it takes to etch your name into the history books. Drifting far behind the 3-point line in an attempt to provide his teammate with space to operate, the second-year guard suddenly finds himself in a high-pressure situation with the ball swinging his way, and only four seconds to consider his plan. Offering Jalen Brunson a dose of his own medicine with a crafty between-the-leg, stepback sequence, Nembhard lets a 31-foot rainbow take flight, holding his form until it sinks through the bottom of the net, affording the Indiana Pacers with a lead it would never again surrender. Nembhard’s late-game brilliance helped the Indiana Pacers avoid a seemingly-certain defeat, clawing back from a nine-point deficit with nine minutes left to steal a Game Three victory on May 10, 2024. Heroic down the stretch in front of the yellow-stitched, sellout home crowd, the skilled guard recorded five points — all in the game’s last two minutes — along with five rebounds, six assists, and one triple.