On Monday evening, the Pacers lost 120-109 to the Thunder in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Indiana is now down 3-2 to Oklahoma City. Game 6 is back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday evening.
The Pacers will face elimination in Game 6, needing a win to keep their season alive and force Game 7. While the focus is often on Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, several players go under the radar for Indiana. One of them is SG Andrew Nembhard. When the Pacers are facing elimination or can send someone home, Nembard has remarkable averages. This trend started in the 2024 playoffs.
Will Andrew Nembhard’s incredible trend continue as the Pacers face elimination?
Andrew Nembhard bag work in Game 1 of the NBA Finals 😮💨
a pivotal part of our incredible comeback. pic.twitter.com/H3TlRDoCXF
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 6, 2025
Heading into Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers have no room for error. They need a win to keep their season alive. Luckily, the Pacers have one of the most clutch performers in elimination games over the last two postseasons. It’s not Tyrese Haliburton or Pascal Siakam. Third-year pro Andrew Nembhard has taken his game to another level when the Pacers are on the brink of elimination or have the chance to eliminate another team.
Dating back to the 2024 playoffs, Nemhard is averaging 16.7 points, 6.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in five elimination games. His first elimination game was in the 2024 playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks. Nembhard had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block. During his next elimination game, the young SG had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block. He helped the Pacers reach the Conference Finals for the first time in 10 years.
Indiana was swept in the 2024 ECF by the Celtics, but Nembhard’s elimination game trend has continued in the playoffs. Once again, the Pacers faced the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. During Game 5, Nembard had 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block to help eliminate the Bucks. In the second round, Nembhard had 18 points, six assists, three rebounds, one block, and one steal to send the Cavaliers packing.
In Game 6 of the ECF in 2025 vs. the Knicks, Nemhard had 14 points, eight rebounds, six assists, one block, and one steal. The Pacers ended New York’s season for a second consecutive year. There’s no denying that Andrew Nembhard takes his game to another level in the postseason. If the Pacers want to force Game 7, they need an x-factor to step up. Could that be 25-year-old Andrew Nembhard in another elimination game?
