Nembhard and McConnell step in in Haliburton’s absence

Hours before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals kicked off on Saturday, the Indiana Pacers announced that All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton would not take the field due to a thigh injury.

While the Blue & Gold knew that replacing Haliburton would require a team with solid performances to beat the top-ranked Boston Celtics, the Pacers players and coaches were confident that the team's strength and drive would pave the way to their first win of the series.

The win was not to be had, but it was not for a lack of players stepping up. The Blue & Gold had career-best postseason performances from second-year guard Andrew Nembhard and veteran point man TJ McConnell.

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Should the Pacers be without Haliburton in Game 4 on Monday, Nembhard has proven he can lead the Pacers' starting lineup as the primary ball handler, and McConnell has shown he can continue to orchestrate the bench with the league's best scorers or fit into any rotation.

By the final whistle of Game 3, Nembhard had scored 32 points (12 of 21 shooting), nine assists and four rebounds, his personal playoff best in the regular season or postseason. McConnell scored 23 points (10 of 17 shooting), nine rebounds and six assists, his personal playoff best.

In the first half of Game 3, McConnell came out hot in the first quarter and Nembhard stole the show in the second quarter.

McConnell scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and threw two dimes off the bench in the first quarter as the Pacers trailed 32-31.

In the second quarter, Nembhard made six of seven shots, including three three-pointers from beyond the arc, to give the Pacers a 69-57 halftime lead. Nembhard scored his team's final eight points in the second quarter, including a 30-foot three-pointer with five seconds left on the game clock.

Neither point guard was particularly impressive in the third quarter, but the playmaking skills of McConnell and Nembhard helped the Pacers take a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter.

The pair scored 16 of the team's 21 points in the final quarter as the Celtics rallied from a deficit in the final moments to take a point on the road. Nembhard and McConnell scored the team's final 12 points in the game's final 4:27 minutes. While most fans are familiar with McConnell's relentless energy and mid-range game from his nine-year career, Nembhard, a Gonzaga product, has already proven time and time again in just two seasons that he is not afraid of important moments.

Nembhard already has a long list of major accomplishments under his belt, including the game-winning shot against the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and a 31-point game against the Golden State Warriors in his rookie season.

After the game, Nembhard and McConnell preferred to discuss each other's performances rather than their own.

McConnell has spoken highly of Nembhard since his rookie season and has continued to support his development.

“The confidence he plays with is unbelievable,” McConnell said of Nembhard. “You see him bring the ball down the court, he gets people involved. And when he's free, he shoots and does it at a high level … In the playoffs, in the regular season, he comes off the bench, he starts at second, he starts at first, he's the backup point guard. As a kid his age, it can mess you up mentally to get thrown around like that. But he's done his duty all year and his whole career. There's no bigger fan of his game than me. He's a really, really good player and like I said, we wouldn't be in this position without him.”

Nembhard has credited his development over the past two seasons to the nine-year NBA veteran.

“I've learned a lot from TJ. Since I've been here, he's been super supportive and has always given me confidence,” said Nembhard. “I've learned little things about how he gets to his positions, how he plays with pace and how he doesn't let anyone force him to do something he doesn't want to be forced to do.”

They have never been able to overcome a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs, but the Pacers have proven they can take it one game at a time, as evidenced by their comeback from a 2-0 deficit against the Knicks.

If the Pacers pull off the unlikely, Nembhard and McConnell will likely play a big part in making it happen.