Andrew Nembhard makes huge jump in first NBA Playoffs series

NBA fans are starting to learn what Gonzaga men's basketball fans have known for several years: Andrew Nembhard is the real deal.

In his first NBA Playoffs series Nembhard averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and shot 45% from the 3-point line to help lead the Indiana Pacers to a 4-2 series victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Those numbers are all significant jumps over his season averages.

Nembhard, who is in his second season in the NBA, was also tasked with guarding Bucks' point guard Damian Lillard for much of the series. Despite being hobbled, Lillard is still one of the best players in the NBA. In Thursday night's series-clinching 120-98 victory, Nembhard helped force Lillard into a 4-of-12 shooting performance from the 3-point line.

Nembhard's best game in the series came in Game 2 when he helped the Pacers respond to a Game 1 loss by racking up 20 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. He shot 8-of-11 from the field and didn't turn the ball over in 32 minutes of action.

Now Nembhard and the Pacers will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Nembhard will likely draw the assignment on Jalen Brunson, who averaged 35.5 points in the Knicks' first-round series victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Knicks are heavy favorites to win the series, and BetMGM Sportsbook has New York as 6.5-point favorites to win Game 1 on Monday.

But don't count out Nembhard and the Pacers.

The 6-foot-4 guard has been silencing doubters since his days at Gonzaga, when he helped lead the Bulldogs to a 28-4 record and a No. 1 national ranking in his final season. He was overlooked in the 2022 NBA Draft, eventually landing with the Pacers in the second round (pick No. 31). He signed a four-year contract with the Pacers that included $6.4 million guaranteed in the first three years. The fourth year of his contract has a team option.

It's safe to say Nembhard is well on his way to landing a much bigger second contract.

Nembhard's younger brother, Ryan, just finished his first season as Gonzaga's point guard, and Gonzaga coach Mark Few recently spoke about how much he loves the Nembhard family.

"Ryan is, you know, he's part of our family," Few said after Gonzaga's NCAA Tournament win over Kansas in late March. "He was coming to watch his brother (Andrew) play way back when. At that time he got really tight with some of our players and even tight with my own kids, my eldest too.

"Obviously, Andrew's got a big piece of my heart, what I feel about him and what he was able to do at our place and the type of person and player that he is."

FOLLOW GONZAGA NATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Continue to follow our Gonzaga coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Instagram and Twitter @FanNationZags.