Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the third quarter in game three of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former Gonzaga guard steps up down the stretch of NBA Finals win

Originally posted on Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI
By Cole Forsman | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 12:51 AM ET

A former Gonzaga standout moved into a prime position to capture their first NBA title on Wednesday, and it's not the one many expected heading into the championship round.

Andrew Nembhard, not his college teammate Chet Holmgren, went up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series following a pivotal Game 3 between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

An all-around team effort from the Pacers thwarted a big night from OKC's big three, as Bennedict Mathurin's epic performance off the bench spearheaded a 116-107 victory despite 70 combined points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.

Holmgren had the Thunder rolling early behind 13 first-quarter points from the 7-footer, but Mathurin's flurry right before halftime completely shifted momentum in Indiana's favor. The Arizona product scored 12 of his team-high 27 points in the second quarter, propelling the Pacers to a 64-60 advantage at the break after trailing by eight through one quarter of play.

Tyrese Haliburton looked more aggressive from the jump and dictated much of the offensive flow for Indiana. The All-NBA guard finished with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, while Pascal Siakam added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Andrew Nembhard had a relatively quiet night by his standards, yet the 6-foot-5 guard still managed to play an impactful role on both ends of the floor in crunch time; from forcing Gilgeous-Alexander into a traveling violation, to converting a couple of mid-range jumpers to fend off one last Thunder rally down the stretch of regulation.

OKC's last attempt at pulling off a comeback of its own came up well short, as the Thunder offense made just one shot attempt in the final 5:57 of regulation.

Nembhard chipped in eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and grabbed four rebounds in 33 minutes of action.

Holmgren had the bigger statline in his team's loss. He dropped 20 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the first Gonzaga player with a double-double in a Finals game since John Stockton in Game 4 of the 1997 championship series. Stockton had 17 points and 12 assists in a 78-73 win over Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.

Holmgren also became the third Gonzaga player to have a 20-point game in the Finals, joining Stockton and Kelly Olynyk.

Williams led OKC with 26 points, followed by Gilgeous-Alexander's 24 points.