The Dallas Mavericks won consecutive games for the first time this season, following a 131-121 result over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, and Ryan Nembhard was instrumental in the road victory.
The undrafted rookie dropped a career-high 28 points, three rebounds, 10 assists, and four three-pointers on 12-for-14 shooting from the field in 35 minutes of action as a starter, drawing praise from his teammates and even Nikola Jokic.
“To be an undrafted rookie, 22, he’s taken big strides. It’s not my decision. It’s above my pay grade, but I don’t know if he’s going to be a two-way too much longer. I don’t even know how that works, but all of the guys on the team love playing with him,” Anthony Davis said on Nembhard via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
“He was good. He didn’t miss, I think. It seems like he didn’t miss. He was really good. He was getting people involved… He was finding his shots. He was really good. He was one of their best players tonight,” Nikola Jokic added.
Dallas Mavericks News: Ryan Nembhard reflects on his career performance vs. Denver Nuggets
Ryan Nembhard was not supposed to be doing this, given that he’s on a two-way contract. But now that he’s in this position, the 22-year-old said he is making the most of his opportunity with the Dallas Mavericks.
“It’s just a blessing. It’s a blessing to be with this group of guys. Great group here. I just put in my work every day and stay consistent with that. When you do that, good things will happen. It was a fun night,” Nembhard said.
With last night’s performance, Nembhard became the first undrafted rookie in NBA history to record at least 25 points and 10 assists with zero turnovers in a game. He could earn a standard contract at some point this season.
