On Monday evening, the Pacers lost 120-109 to lightning in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Indiana is currently down 3-2 to Oklahoma City. Game 6 returned to Gainbridge Field House on Thursday evening.
The Pacers face elimination in Game 6, needing victory to keep the season alive and force Game 7. One of them is SG Andrew Nembhard. When the Pacers face elimination or can send someone home, there’s an astonishing average for Nenbird. This trend began in the 2024 playoffs.
Will Andrew Nenbird’s incredible trend continue as the Pacers face exclusion?
Andrewnen Birdbag 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 victory to keep the season alive. Luckily, the Pacers have one of the most clutch performers in the elimination game over the past two postseasons. It’s not Tyrese Halliburton or Pascal Siakam. In his third year, Pro Andrew Nenbird took his game to another level when the Pacers were on the verge of elimination or had the opportunity to eliminate another team.
Back in the 2024 playoffs, Nemhard averaged 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 with the Milwaukee Bucks. Nembhard had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steels and one block. During his next elimination game, the young SG scored 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block. He helped the Pacers reach the conference finals for the first time in a decade.
Indiana was dominated by the Celtics by the 2024 ECF, but the trend in Nenbird’s elimination game continues in the playoffs. Again, the Pacers faced the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. During Game 5, Nenbird scored 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block to eliminate the Bucks. In the second round, Nembhard packed the Cavaliers with 18 points, six assists, three rebounds, one block and one steel.
In ECF’s Game 6 in 2025, the Knicks, Knicks and Nemhardt scored 14 points, eight rebounds, six assists, one block and one steel. The Pacers have finished their New York season for the second year in a row. There’s no denying Andrew Nenbird taking his game to another level in the postseason. If the Pacer wants to force Game 7, you need an X factor to step up. Is it 25-year-old Andrew Nenbird in another elimination game?