With 10 minutes to go within the fourth quarter of this Monday’s matchup between Warriors and Pacers, Andrew Nembhard was locked on to Stephen Curry. The historic NBA’s main three-point shooter drilled his second three-pointer of the evening, and solely the primary with the rival guard as his main defender.
Having sunk that shot, Golden State took the lead for the primary time because the second quarter, igniting the group on the Chase Heart, who had been ready all evening to see their living-legend discover his precision from vary. Nevertheless, Nembhard stayed in Curry’s face the remainder of the sport and the 36-year-old by no means scored once more.
Consider it or not, the 10-time All-Star completed that match with solely 10 factors on 2-of-13 capturing, which included simply 2-of-9 from past the arc. This implies, the Warriors icon produced one in all his 15-worst capturing shows of his whole profession, with the Pacers holding their rival crew to simply 43.4% capturing to say a 111-105 victory.
‘Engaged always’: How Andrew Nembhard and the Pacers held Stephen Curry to 2-of-13 https://t.co/5mzXqVHWwh
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Not solely was this Indiana’s fifth-consecutive win that provides them a sweep of their three-match West Coast street journey, but in addition brings them to a 15-15 report with an ideal 6-0 all-time report on the San Francisco’s Chase Heart.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle talked concerning the technique in opposition to Curry. “We made a powerful dedication to him understanding that we had been going to surrender another issues, and we lived with it,” he defined postgame. “So it’s a pick-your-poison proposition while you’re coping with a man like that who’s an murderer.”
As for the Nembhard, he confessed what must occur with the intention to management the Olympic-gold medalist. “You simply need to be engaged always,” mentioned the three-year guard. “He’s by no means not shifting. He’s most harmful when he doesn’t have the ball typically. … He’s always operating. He’s always a risk. He’s in nice form. Undoubtedly one of many hardest folks to protect within the league.”
After the sport, Curry talked about what makes Nembhard a tough defender to play in opposition to, whereas addressing his capturing woes
Regardless that a few of it was actually luck, as Steph normally makes drops in of his Curry’s 11 missed subject objectives on Monday, he did admit postgame that loads of it was additionally Nembhard and the Pacers’ defensive technique. “I feel sure guys in schemes the place you may inform their job is to remain on me, don’t fear about the rest.
“And if they’ve the endurance to do it, you form of love that back-and-forth form of battle,” the two-time scoring chief mentioned about Indiana’s stronghold. “Yeah, I feel he takes protection, that’s his function, particularly with the staring unit. Whoever the most effective scorer is, go-to man, he takes that accountability.”
Nonetheless, the veteran guard continues to have a formidable situation this 2024-25 NBA marketing campaign, as he wears out his opponents with a steady movement earlier than delivering daggers from vary. For this reason Tyrese Haliburton known as him one of many hardest gamers to protect within the league.
“That’s in all probability the hardest cowl in our league,” he mentioned concerning the 36-year-old. “I believed (Nembhard) did a fantastic job of displaying his palms, contesting each shot. We had been linked all 5, understanding that to protect Steph Curry is a five-man job, however it begins with whoever is on him. I believed he did a fantastic job and we simply form of floated on that.”
