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Watch: Andrew Nembhard beats the buzzer in first half of Game 4
Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Pacers' Andrew Nembhard beats the buzzer in first half of Game 4

It’s not a surprise that Jayson Tatum is in a scoring duel in the Eastern Conference Finals. But no one expected him to be battling Andrew Nembhard.

Nembhard scored to beat the buzzer and get Indiana to within one point, trailing 58-57 at halftime. He scored 12 points in the second quarter to get to 16 points, tied for the game-high with Tatum.

In Game 3, Tatum scored 36 points while Nembhard nearly matched him with 32 of his own. They dueled again in Game 4, with Nembhard shooting 7-of-11 and Tatum going 7-of-14, with an and-one, in the first half.

While Pascal Siakam and Jaylen Brown have each had their moments, it appears that Game 4 could come down to Nembhard hanging with Tatum offensively. Of course, Tatum averaged 26.9 points this season, while Nembhard averaged… 9.2. Advantage, Celtics.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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