Gonzaga's Andrew Nembhard helps pull off stunning NBA Finals comeback

Nembhard and the Pacers shocked the NBA world — again

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) shoots the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the third quarter in game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The comeback kids did it again.

Despite a sloppy first half, poor shooting early on from their star players and possessing zero answers for stopping the league's reigning MVP, the Indiana Pacers pulled off yet another improbable postseason comeback, this time on the game's biggest stage.

Tyrese Haliburton knocked down a jumper with under a second left to play in regulation, stunning the Oklahoma City Thunder and completing a 15-point Indiana comeback for a 111-110 win at the Paycom Center Thursday.

Haliburton finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, overcoming a quiet first half that saw the Pacers commit a Finals-record 20 turnovers. OKC couldn't quite capitalize on every one of its extra opportunities, though, taking a 57-45 lead into the halftime break behind a strong start from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Gilgeous-Alexander had 19 points at the break before finishing with a game-high 38 points on 14-of-30 from the field. The 6-foot-6 guard kept OKC out in front by double-digits for most of the night, but it wasn't enough to fend off Indiana's furious comeback efforts. A 12-2 run from Indiana flipped the game on its head late in the fourth quarter, pulling off another seemingly impossible come-from-behind win and handing the Thunder its second loss at home in the playoffs.

Former Gonzaga standout Andrew Nembhard played a key role down the stretch. Going toe-to-toe with his Team Canada teammate, Nembhard drilled a big-time stepback jumper over Gilgeous-Alexander with just under 2 minutes to play, cutting Indiana's deficit to three in the process. On the other end of the floor, Gilgeous-Alexander and Nembhard exchanged some playful shoves.

Nembhard never backed down from the MVP, finishing his first NBA Finals game with 14 points, six assists and four rebounds while serving as Indiana's go-to defender for Gilgeous-Alexander. Despite numerous attempts by Gilgeous-Alexander to bait Nembhard into a foul, the latter kept himself under control while remaining aggressive.

On the other side, Nembhard's former college teammate, Chet Holmgren, had six points, six rebounds and one block in 24 minutes of action. He and Nembhard made history in becoming the first Zags to start in a Finals game since John Stockton suited up for the Utah Jazz against Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in 1998.

Gonzaga was the only school with two players featured in each of the starting lineups of Thursday's Game 1, and one of six programs with multiple players rostered in this year's Finals.

Either way, a former Zag will hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy. Nembhard gained an edge with a Game 1 win, setting up a pivotal Game 2 set for Sunday at 5 p.m. PST on ABC.