Pacers Defender Hampers Knicks Star In Lopsided Elimination Game

Jalen Brunson is exceedingly difficult to guard. The New York Knicks star is one of the best scorers in the NBA, armed with a quick first step and shot release that works anywhere on the floor, as well as a quiet strength to his physical game that allows him to punish anyone too feeble to get in the way of his driving body.

There were only so many options the Indiana Pacers could take in their attempts at slowing down Brunson. Like rival Eastern Conference Finalist Tyrese Haliburton, Brunson is needed to make the rest of the offense flow as the central decision maker and big shot taker.

The matchup story of the first few games was Aaron Nesmith, the Indiana wing who stunned the Knicks with an all-time heat check in Game 1 before spending the next few games as Brunson's inescapable shadow. As unshakeable a cover as he was, the Pacers had to turn to someone else when injuries started nagging Nesmith deeper into the series.

That's when a familiar face re-emerged as an impact player in the conference finals. A year after giving the Boston Celtics fits in last year's third round, Andrew Nembhard returned for more clutch heroics with some inspired Brunson defense to help the Pacers close the series out in last night's Game 6.

He once looked like a nonfactor when matched up against the Knicks star, as an unbothered-looking Brunson once shot over top of Nembhard with ease earlier in the series, but kept up with his every turn in going over screens and contesting without fouling. He guarded Brunson for considerable time, bothering him into several misses in the areas he's found most comfortable over the last two weeks.

The Pacers, much like the Oklahoma City Thunder they're now set to face in the NBA Finals, have won games in the fast break with their high-octane pace and team defense, and Nembhard helped deflate Brunson and the Knicks with a half dozen steals. He continually found them out of sorts, and came up with several key turnovers to keep the game from ever getting close in the second half.