Forty-six minutes into Game 3, Indiana’s Andrew Nembhard had five fouls and zero points. He started scoring just in time.
Nembhard made his first three-pointer of the game with 18 seconds left to give the Pacers the lead, answering what had been a game-tying triple by Jalen Brunson.
After Nembhard’s make from deep, Indiana held on for a 111-106 win over the New York Knicks in Game 3 of a second-round playoff series. Nembhard also broke a tie a few minutes earlier, converting a transition layup off an emphatic Myles Turner block.
Pascal Siakam may have been holding Isaiah Hartenstein under the basket while Nembhard scored, but there was no whistle.
Tyrese Haliburton led the way for the Pacers with 35 points and seven assists. His biggest moment came with Indiana trailing 98-89. He went on a one-man 7-0 run to haul the Pacers back into the game.
Turner had 21 points and 10 rebounds, six of them on the offensive glass. Indiana got three offensive rebounds in the last minute and a half, two by Turner.
The game ultimately ended when Jalen Brunson, playing with a sore foot, missed a game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds. He finished with 26 points, Donte DiVincenzo had 35 and Josh Hart grabbed 18 rebounds.
But this time the Knicks couldn’t pull out a last-second win. Thanks to Nembhard.
Five Pacers scored more points than the second-year guard, but no one hit a bigger shot.