One of the reasons why the Indiana Pacers were able to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals was that their defense clamped down on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
And a huge part of that defense was Andrew Nembhard, who has been sensational during the playoffs.
He has been so good, in fact, that he has minimized some of the best guards in the league.
According to Evan Sidery, Nembhard has held Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks to 23.1 percent, Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers to 23.3 percent, and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks to 38.2 percent.
He has only played against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for one game, but during that match, he kept him at 33.3 percent, which is a huge accomplishment against such a talented shooter.
Andrew Nembhard is putting on a clinic in the playoffs defending star guards:
Damian Lillard: 23.1%
Donovan Mitchell: 23.3%
Jalen Brunson: 38.2%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 33.3%Nembhard will be on All-Defense teams for years to come with the Pacers.pic.twitter.com/yLKTfr1ewV
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 7, 2025
This is one of the reasons why the Pacers might surprise everyone and win the championship this year.
Nembhard doesn’t look like someone who could shut down all kinds of opponents.
He isn’t the biggest player on the court, and he isn’t as intimidating as some of his larger counterparts.
But he has spirit, he has energy, and he doesn’t give up.
Because of that, he is a real threat.
Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best guards in the league, a reigning MVP, and someone who can land shots from all over the court.
He is perhaps OKC’s biggest weapon, so if he is limited, the Thunder are in trouble.
Now Nembhard’s task will be to keep it up.
The Pacers shocked everyone with their Game 1 win, and they wish to do it again on Sunday.
That means Nembhard will have to keep playing hard and staying on top of his opponents.
NEXT: Analyst Puts Tyrese Haliburton’s Impressive Playoff Run Into Perspective
