Rookie Ryan Nembhard set a franchise record for assists by a rookie in the Mavericks' season finale, finishing with 15 points and 23 assists in a 149-128 win over the Bulls. He fell just two assists short of the overall franchise record held by Jason Kidd.
Rookie Ryan Nembhard set a franchise record and came up just short of another one, helping the Dallas Mavericks to a win in their season finale on Sunday.
Nembhard finished with 15 points, 23 assists, nine rebounds and two steals in a 149-128 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center. He shot 6-of-11 from the field and was a plus-23 in 38 minutes, 17 seconds of action.
The undrafted guard out of Gonzaga set the single-game franchise assist record by a rookie with the performance, surpassing Jason Kidd, who had 17 in March 1995. Nembhard fell just two short of the overall single-game franchise assist record, which is held by Kidd (25, February 1996).
"I was trying to sub him out if he got to 24," Kidd said. "No, I'm joking. It is awesome. Records are meant to be broken. ... For him to break that record, I commend him. It is not easy, especially when you got other guys who are going to play in front of you. He just continued to come to work every day and got better."
Nembhard finished the season by averaging 6.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 35.6% from 3-point range in 60 appearances. He led all first-year players in assist average and was the first rookie to dish out 20 or more in a game since Darren Collison in March 2010.
The 23-year-old earlier this season became the first undrafted rookieĀ in the modern draft era (1967) to record at least 25 points and 10 assists in a game without a turnover.Ā He is also the first undrafted rookie with 15 points and 10 assists in consecutive games.
Nembhard began the season on a two-way contract and was eventually upgraded to a two-year standard deal on March 1. He was pleased with his first year as a professional and is eager to get back into the gym and train this offseason.
"I think just getting the opportunity to play, and that is part of the reason why I wanted to come here," Nembhard said. "I knew there'd be an opportunity to learn from so many great vets. You got Ky (Irving), Klay (Thompson) and Coach as well, one of the all-time great point guards. I think those are the biggest things I learned and the biggest things I'll remember."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Mavericks news: Ryan Nembhard sets assist record in season finale
Ryan Nembhard set the franchise record for assists by a rookie, finishing with 23 assists in the game.
Ryan Nembhard fell just two assists short of the overall franchise assist record, which is 25, held by Jason Kidd.
In the game against the Bulls, Ryan Nembhard recorded 15 points, 23 assists, nine rebounds, and two steals.
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