O Canada Finals Showdown Gilgeous-Alexander vs Nembhard Olympic Teammates Clash

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) shoots the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the second half in Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (Kyle Terada/Pool Photo via AP)

By  NEWS BLEND 360

Updated 9:17 PM EDT, June 7, 2025

OKLAHOMA CITY (NB360) — The NBA Finals. East vs. West. Indiana vs. Oklahoma City. Canada vs. ... Canada?

That certainly seemed to be the case during Game 1 of the series, and it's likely there will be more such moments in this matchup between the Pacers and Thunder.

Four Canadians are involved in the series, with two of them — NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder and Andrew Nembhard for the Pacers — frequently facing off in Game 1. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points, while Nembhard contributed eight of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and played the entire duration of Indiana’s 32-16 run that transformed a 15-point deficit into a one-point victory.

“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 together since childhood and were teammates on Canada’s national team at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

“I think playing in the finals is a crazy experience,” Nembhard said Saturday. “Walking onto the court was something you live for. The crowd was amazing. The noise was the most I ever felt in a game. It kind of all just came together. The nerves settled in, and it was a fun game.”

In Game 1, both he and Gilgeous-Alexander frequently encountered each other on both ends of the floor, engaging in some extra physical play and choice words. Nothing crossed the line, but it was enough to remind each other that it’s all about 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, setting a record for the most points scored in any finals game by players from a single country other than the U.S.

This shattered the previous record for points by Canadians in a finals game, which was 34, all scored by Jamal Murray for Denver in Game 3 against Miami in 2023.

“It’s amazing for our country,” Nembhard said.

Gilgeous-Alexander isn't the only one familiar with Nembhard. Thunder forward Chet Holmgren also played with Nembhard at Gonzaga.

“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 acknowledges the Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nembhard matchup might be seen as a game within the game. He mentioned that Nembhard “loves the challenge” of competing 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.”