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 night time, and solely the primary with the rival guard as his major defender.
Having sunk that shot, Golden State took the lead for the primary time for the reason that second quarter, igniting the gang on the Chase Middle, who had been ready all night time to see their living-legend discover his precision from vary. Nonetheless, Nembhard stayed in Curry’s face the remainder of the sport and the 36-year-old by no means scored once more.
Imagine it or not, the 10-time All-Star completed that match with solely 10 factors on 2-of-13 taking pictures, which included simply 2-of-9 from past the arc. This implies, the Warriors icon produced certainly one of his 15-worst taking pictures shows of his whole profession, with the Pacers holding their rival crew to simply 43.4% taking pictures to assert 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 offers them a sweep of their three-match West Coast street journey, but in addition brings them to a 15-15 document with an ideal 6-0 all-time document on the San Francisco’s Chase Middle.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle talked concerning the technique towards Curry. “We made a robust 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 whenever you’re coping with a man like that who’s an murderer.”
As for the Nembhard, he confessed what must occur so as to management the Olympic-gold medalist. “You simply must 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 generally. … He’s continually working. He’s continually a menace. He’s in nice form. Positively one of many hardest individuals to protect within the league.”
After the sport, Curry talked about what makes Nembhard a troublesome defender to play towards, whereas addressing his taking pictures woes
Although a few of it was definitely luck, as Steph often makes drops in of his Curry’s 11 missed area objectives on Monday, he did admit postgame that a whole lot of it was additionally Nembhard and the Pacers’ defensive technique. “I believe sure guys in schemes the place you possibly can inform their job is to remain on me, don’t fear about anything.
“And if they’ve the endurance to do it, you sort of love that back-and-forth sort of battle,” the two-time scoring chief mentioned about Indiana’s stronghold. “Yeah, I believe he takes protection, that’s his position, 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. This is the 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 an important job of exhibiting his arms, 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 an important job and we simply sort of floated on that.”
