Andrew Nembhard Drills Game-Winning Prayer From 31 Feet to Beat Knicks in Game 3

Nobody at Gainbridge Fieldhouse expected this shot to go in.

Nembhard celebrates his three-pointer in the final minute of Game 3. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

With 22 seconds left to play Friday night, Tyrese Haliburton handled the basketball as the shot clock trickled down. The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks were tied at 106 in Game 3.

The Pacers, trailing 2–0 in the series, desperately needed a big play. But it wasn't Haliburton who delivered in the clutch. It was Andrew Nembhard, the 24-year-old former second-round pick who was 1-of-7 from the field as he found the basketball in his hands that might as well be a ticking time bomb.

With four seconds left on the shot clock, Nembhard dribbled four times, stepped back and threw a prayer in the air from 31 feet.

Straight cash.

Andrew Nembhard knocks down the three to take the lead with 16 seconds remaining 😱 pic.twitter.com/CLDUjEoqr2

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 11, 2024

The Knicks rushed a Jalen Brunson three-point attempt on the ensuing possession, and a pair of Aaron Nesmith free throws secured a 111–106 win for Indiana.

"Huge shot by him, huge shot," Haliburton said of Nembhard's three-pointer to ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters after the game. "We just dug in and made enough plays at the end, and he made a big shot there."

With the Pacers' backs against the wall, Haliburton stepped up all game, scoring 35 points on 14-of-26 shooting and adding seven assists, four rebounds, two steals and one block. Haliburton attempted one more shot from the field in Game 3 (26) than he did in Game 1 and Game 2 combined.

The Pacers and Knicks return to the floor Sunday for Game 4 in Indianapolis.