O Canada: Finals matchup between Olympic teammates Gilgeous-Alexander and Nembhard getting attention
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The NBA Finals. East vs. West. Indiana vs. Oklahoma City. Canada vs. ... Canada?
It sure seemed like it at times in Game 1 of the series, anyway — and odds are, there will be more of those moments throughout the rest of this matchup between the Pacers and Thunder.
There are four Canadians in the series, and two of them — NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder and Andrew Nembhard for the Pacers — went head-to-head plenty in Game 1. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points; Nembhard scored eight of his 14 in the fourth and was on the floor for the entirety of Indiana's 32-16 run that ended the game and turned a 15-point deficit into a one-point win.
'He's a competitor. He's a winner,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Plays the game the right way on both ends of the floor. Really good player. Yeah, he's a winner for sure. No doubt.'
They have been playing alongside each other since they were kids and were teammates on Canada's national team at the Paris Olympics in 2024. And they saw plenty of each other on both ends of the floor in Game 1, plus weren't afraid to mix it up with a little extra push here or choice words there. Nothing over the line, but enough to remind the other that it's all business right now.
'Nothing more than two guys wanting to win,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'No malicious intent behind it, just wanting to win.'
Oklahoma City's Lu Dort and Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin are the other two Canadians in the finals. The four Canadian players combined for 72 points in Game 1; that's the most ever in any finals game by players from any individual country other than the U.S.
That smashed the previous mark for points from Canadians in a finals game; it was 34, all from Jamal Murray, for Denver in Game 3 against Miami in 2023.
'It's amazing for our country,' Nembhard said.
It's not just Gilgeous-Alexander who has long-time familiarity with Nembhard. Thunder forward Chet Holmgren played with Nembhard at Gonzaga as well.
'Obviously, he's my guy, great dude,' Holmgren said. 'I have a lot of compliments for him as a basketball player and a person. But we're playing against him right now, so I'm going to hold on to all those.'
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle knows the Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nembhard matchup might be viewed by some as a game within the game. He said Nembhard 'loves the challenge' of matching wits with Gilgeous-Alexander.
'I mean, you don't stop players today,' Carlisle said. 'You try to make it hard. He played with Shai on the Olympic team and so they have familiarity. They are both from Canada and they both have played a lot with and against each other over the years. But this is the ultimate challenge, a guy like him who is the MVP.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Angel Reese's Aunt Has a Strong Question for Caitlin Clark
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark went head-to-head on Saturday in their teams' season openers, marking their fifth showdown since entering the WNBA last season. The matchup lived up to the hype, with both stars showing why they're not just the future of the league — but the present. Reese recorded a double-double with 12 points, 17 rebounds and an assist, while Clark delivered a triple-double: 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Fever to a commanding 93–58 win. Advertisement But much of the attention after the game centered on a heated moment late in the third quarter. Reese went up for a wide-open layup when Clark came over and wrapped her up, sending her to the floor. Clark was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul, while Reese was hit with a technical for her reaction — getting up and charging toward Clark before being held back. On Sunday, one day after the game, Reese's aunt, Kristi Webb, took to social media to ask Clark a question regarding the incident. "Can somebody please help me you up by 20 pts.. what is the purpose of the hard foul? Just a question," she said. Angel Reese's aunt's question on Instagram Threads.@1977kristilee/Instagram The question was more of a rhetorical one, as Clark is highly unlikely to come across the post. Advertisement Regardless, it's worth noting that both players downplayed the moment when speaking with the media. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to a flagrant foul from Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22).Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK "It's just a good take foul," Clark said. "Either Angel gets wide open 2 points or we send them to the free throw line. Nothing malicious about it. It's just a good take foul every basketball player knows that." "Basketball play, refs got it right, move on," Reese said. Related: WNBA Issues Statement After Inappropriate Fan Behavior at Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Game Related: Chicago Sky Under Fire for National Anthem Decision vs. Indiana Fever
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WNBA Reacts to Angel Reese's Pregame Outfit for Sky-Fever
WNBA Reacts to Angel Reese's Pregame Outfit for Sky-Fever originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky take on the Indiana Fever on Saturday night in the second of five meetings between the two teams this WNBA season. Advertisement In the opener on May 17, the Fever dominated the Sky, 93-58, behind Caitlin Clark's triple-double. Despite the result, Reese had a strong showing herself, finishing with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Fans will have to wait even longer for another Clark-Reese matchup as Clark remains out with a left quadriceps strain she suffered on May 26 against the New York Liberty. Meanwhile, Reese showed up and showed out as she arrived at the United Center on Saturday. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to a flagrant foul from Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22).© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Reese wore a long black leather trench coat cinched at the waist with a matching belt and a plush fur collar. She paired it with black leather gloves, dark sunglasses, and a black fur hat that matched the coat's collar. The 6-foot-3 forward thigh-high stiletto boots had a glossy, textured finish and pointed toes. She capped off the look with her hair curly in a ponytail under the hat. Advertisement The WNBA shared a video of Reese showing off her pregame outfit, reacting to it in all caps and adding the star-eyed emoji. "ANGEL REESE ARRIVES FOR ROUND 2 VS. INDY 🤩," the WNBA wrote on social media. Entering Saturday night's game, the 2024 No. 7 overall pick is averaging 10.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game this season. Her 12.3 rebounds lead the league and are just shy of the 13.1 per game she led the WNBA with last year. Related: Angel Reese's Aunt Has a Strong Question for Caitlin Clark Related: Angel Reese's Aunt Reacts to Her Exciting Debut This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Thunder Game 2 changes have to start with better nights from Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams
OKLAHOMA CITY — Any doubts about the Thunder entering the playoffs seemed to have been wiped away before the NBA Finals tipped off. Nobody had really questioned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Thunder defense had more than lived up to its fearsome reputation. Perhaps the only question not entirely answered this postseason was the one that lingered from last year's playoffs, when the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder: Were Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren good enough to be the No. 2 and 3 players on a championship team? They were not in Game 1. They shot a combined 8-of-28, and they had some defensive lapses. If the Thunder are going to even this series in Game 2 Sunday night, a few things need to improve for them, but that starts with better games from Williams and Holmgren. "[Holmgren] and [Williams], specifically, obviously they have carved out huge roles on our team,' OKC coach Mark Daigneault said. 'Usually, delivering in the Finals is not on the curriculum for third-year players, and they have thrust themselves into that situation, which is a credit to them. And now that they are here, they have to continue to do what they have done all the way through the playoffs... 'They haven't always played their best game, but they always get themselves ready to play the next one. The last guy I'm worried about that is Chet.' Williams played down the idea of being a third-year player mattering. 'I don't ever think that I'm in my third year because then that allows me to make excuses. I should just go out there and play. Pressure is a privilege,' Williams said on the eve of Game 2. 'So I enjoy being counted on and doing that, and I just think I've been counted on since, I feel like, last year, to be totally honest, just in regard to being there for the rest of the guys. And now we're here in the Finals.' Holmgren's rough shooting night Holmgren shot 2-of-8 within four feet of the rim in Game 1, finishing the night with six points on nine shot attempts. It was a night where Daigneault leaned more into Isaiah Hartenstein (9 points on 3-of-5 shooting, plus 9 rebounds). 'I feel like I could have slowed down, kind of finished some of those plays at the rim,' Holmgren said. 'Obviously, it hurts in a one-point loss. One single difference on one single play could have decided the whole game... 'I'd say [I went] on some of them, too quick. On the ones that involved help side, just slowing down and understanding where they are is a big thing. Some of the one-on-one plays, I wouldn't say so much slowing down as I'd say kind of just being a little bit more under control, I guess.' Williams' rough shooting night Williams put up better counting stats with 17 points, but was 6-of-19 shooting. He was respectable around the rim, hitting 5-of-9. However, he was 1-of-10 outside that range, including 1-of-4 on 3-pointers. We've seen this before this postseason. Against the Nuggets, Williams showed out with 32 points on 21 shots in Game 3 (an OKC loss), but in the next three games Williams shot 2-of-13, 5-of-14 and 3-of-16, a combined 23.3%. Williams bounced back in the Thunder's Game 7 victory, scoring 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting. What Oklahoma City needs from him in the Finals is consistency. Williams is an All-NBA player who will be offered a five-year maximum contract extension by the Thunder this summer. These games, however, are where that money and his reputation are really earned. All playoffs long, when the Thunder have been challenged — individually and as a team — they have responded. Expect Williams and Holmgren to bounce back with better games on Sunday night. If they don't, the hole the Thunder find themselves in could be a lot deeper.
