Canadians Nembhard, Mathurin step up for Pacers in all-star Haliburton's absence

Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin displayed growth that was welcomed by Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle last week.

With all-star guard Tyrese Haliburton injured and unable to run the Pacers' NBA-leading offence, Nembhard of Aurora, Ont., stepped in averaging 18.0 points and 8.0 assists while starting over the team's four-game homestand.

Indiana fell to Denver on Jan. 23 before putting together three straight wins to improve to 27-20 and hold onto the sixth seed in a competitive Eastern Conference.

"[Nembhard] made key plays down the stretch again," Carlisle said after Sunday's win over Memphis. "His numbers don't look super gaudy, 16 [points] and nine [assists], those are good numbers ... he was tough defensively the whole game.

"These are situations you don't want to be in, but when you are, you got to figure it out. And he was terrific."