Nemhard filled Halliburton’s void by 200%.
The Indiana Pacers lost to the Boston Celtics 111-114 in Game 3 of the 2023-2024 NBA Eastern Conference Final at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on the 26th (Korea time). The loss put Indiana on the verge of elimination with a 0-3 record in the series.
On this day, Indiana’s ace Tyreece Halliburton was absent due to injury. Halliburton, who was injured in the second game, was uncertain to play before the game, but was eventually unable to play. 토토사이트
In the absence of Halliburton, who had an absolute influence on Indiana’s offense, Indiana was expected to suffer a crushing defeat. However, Indiana has seen a star surprise.
The protagonist was Andrew Nemhard, a second-year NBA prospect. He scored 32 points and nine assists to fill Halliburton’s gap. It is strange to say that he filled the gap. Rather, it is no exaggeration to say that he performed better than Halliburton.
Nemhardt scored from the beginning of the game. Boston’s strong under-the-goal breakthrough destroyed its defense. Jaren Brown, Derek White, Zrew Halladay, and other defensive players took turns blocking Nemhardt, but nobody could control him.
There was a situation where Nemhard’s breakthrough was completely out of control, and Boston players began to pay attention to his breakthrough. Then, Nemhard hit a three-point shot. Nemhard performed tremendously in the first half alone, making all of them successful, including 21 points, 5 assists, and 3 3-pointers. Due to Nemhard’s performance, Indiana led 69-57 in the first half.
Nemhard’s performance continued in the second half, but what was regrettable was that other Indiana players’ shots that burned in the first half cooled down.
In the end, Indiana was ahead until the third quarter, but suffered a come-from-behind defeat at the end of the fourth quarter, allowing a reversal. Boston’s potential was shown, and the lack of experience of young Indiana players was revealed.
In fact, Nemhardt was the hero of the match, but he expressed regret in an interview after the match. “It doesn’t matter if my team loses even if I play well. I committed a fatal turnover at the end of the match. I think I have more weight to lose on the day,” he said.
Nemhard’s performance on the day was still a surprise. Nemhard averaged only 9.2 points and 4.2 assists this regular season. A player who averaged less than double-digit points exploded on the playoff stage.
Interestingly, Nemhardt showed off his strong mentality in the second round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks. He scored a long-range 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in Game 3, trailing 0-2 in the series, to bring his team to the victory. Before the 3-pointer was successful, Nemhardt was performing at his worst. Indeed, his strength is palpable.
Through the playoffs, Indiana has found a new star named Nemhard. Although Halliburton left due to an injury, Indiana fans will be comforted by Nemhard’s performance.