Andrew Nembhard leads Pacers to victory in NBA Summer League opener

Nembhard shot 5-for-11 from the field in 32 minutes

After a promising rookie campaign, second-year guard Andrew Nembhard picked up where he left off in the Indiana Pacers' Summer League opener against the Washington Wizards on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. 

Nembhard finished with 14 points, eight assists and three rebounds to lead the Pacers to a 91-83 win. 

The former Gonzaga men's basketball player was almost immediately productive, recording six points and four assists in the first quarter, which ended with Indiana ahead 23-19. He had a much quieter second quarter, but the Pacers continued to extend their lead until it was 51-29 by halftime. 

Indiana's advantage crumbled in the third quarter, which saw Washington outscore its opponents 32-13 to cut their deficit to 64-61. 

The Wizards carried their momentum into the final period, taking a 73-72 lead after seventh-overall draft pick Bilal Coulibaly finished a layup through contact with roughly six minutes remaining. 

Nembhard responded on Indiana's next possession with a close-range jump shot to put his team back on top 74-73. He scored twice more to help secure the Pacers' victory.

While Nembhard filled up the stat sheet, it was hardly an efficient performance. He registered eight turnovers and missed all four of his 3-point attempts.

On the positive side, Nembhard orchestrated arguably the top play of the night after setting up Isaiah Jackson for a dunk with a miraculous pass early in the fourth quarter.

😲 How did Andrew Nembhard 🇨🇦 make this pass?!#NBA2kSummerLeague pic.twitter.com/EjrJRjPTGF

— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) July 9, 2023

Next up for Nembhard and the Pacers is the Orlando Magic at 5:30 p.m. PST on Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center (NBA TV).