IND 113, CHI 110: Vučević Wins Duel With Andrew Nembhard
Destiny Williams
Math Teacher & Basketball Coach · Atlanta Hawks fan
Vučević Went Off, But Pacers Held Serve in Tight One
Pacers 113, Bulls 110. Close game, solid win for Indiana, and a reminder that fantasy basketball sometimes comes down to depth and role guys showing up when it matters. Let me break down what actually happened here and what it means for your roster moves.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Vučević | 54.0 | 47.8 | 25/9/4 | 16.8/9.1/3.8 | +8.2 |
| Andrew Nembhard | 44.0 | 40.7 | 18/6/9 | 17.4/2.8/7.4 | +0.6 |
| Jalen Smith | 33.0 | 31.7 | 13/11/3 | 9.8/6.9/1.3 | +3.2 |
| Matas Buzelis | 37.0 | 31.6 | 20/8/0 | 14.8/5.2/2.0 | +5.2 |
| Jay Huff | 31.0 | 30.9 | 10/7/1 | 8.3/3.7/1.3 | +1.7 |
| Aaron Nesmith | 38.0 | 30.8 | 14/4/4 | 13.5/5.0/2.3 | +0.5 |
| Pascal Siakam | 25.0 | 29.1 | 20/3/5 | 23.8/7.0/4.0 | -3.8 |
| Ayo Dosunmu | 29.0 | 28.8 | 19/4/4 | 14.5/2.7/3.4 | +4.5 |
| Josh Giddey | 24.0 | 25.3 | 10/4/7 | 18.8/8.7/8.8 | -8.8 |
| T.J. McConnell | 29.0 | 24.8 | 8/4/6 | 9.8/2.2/4.8 | -1.8 |
The Real Story: Pacers Win Ugly Because Role Players Showed Up
Here's what I'm taking from this one. Nikola Vučević absolutely cooked for 47.8 Yahoo points, shooting 10-17 from the field with three threes. That's a +8.2 night versus his season average, and on just 29 minutes. You're thrilled if you own him, but here's the thing, the Bulls still lost. Why? Because the Pacers didn't need a superstar performance. They got contributions across the board.
Andrew Nembhard ran the offense cleanly with 18/6/9 and shot 4-4 from the line. That's All-NBA Third Team caliber play (reigning third team All-NBA selection here), and even though his scoring was right around his season average, he added 3.2 rebounds above his typical 2.8. He's your floor guy in fantasy. Won't blow you away, but he won't tank your week either.
Aaron Nesmith stepping up with 30.8 Yahoo points is the kind of move that wins you close matchups. 14 points on 5-9 shooting with three threes and five combined steals plus assists. That's exactly the kind of glue guy production I tell my after-school fantasy club to hunt on waivers. He's not flashy, but he did the work.
Where the Bulls Got Exposed
Josh Giddey looked lost out there. 25.3 Yahoo points on his 18.8 season average is a -8.8 deficit, and the numbers show why. 10/4/7 on 3-8 shooting is basically him going through the motions. When your primary ball handler is struggling to find his rhythm, it trickles down.
Coby White shot 5-15 from the field and only managed 22.4 Yahoo points. That's a -5.0 night versus his season average. You can survive one rough shooting night, but not when your lead guard is also struggling.
Pascal Siakam went for 29.1 Yahoo points but shot 6-16 from the field. Yes, he hit 7-8 from the line, which saved his night statistically. But a -3.8 performance versus his 23.8 season average tells you he was not the force this game needed him to be. He was out there for 36 minutes playing hard, but Chicago's offense just couldn't get in sync.
The Pacers Role Players Did Their Thing
I'm not going to sleep on what Jalen Smith did here. 31.7 Yahoo points with 13/11/3 and a steal plus block. He grabbed 4.1 more rebounds than his season average of 6.9, which sounds weird until you realize he's been playing limited minutes. Tonight he played 27 and made every one count. If he can get more consistent run, he's a sneaky add in deeper leagues.
Matas Buzelis went for 31.6 Yahoo points shooting 7-11 with four threes. That's +5.2 versus his 14.8 season average, and for a young power forward, that kind of efficiency is exactly what you want to see. Playing 31 minutes and staying aggressive.
Jay Huff came off the bench for 30.9 Yahoo points with three steals. That's the kind of per-minute production that matters in fantasy. 23 minutes, 4-10 shooting, but those steals add up in Yahoo format. If he's available in your league, grab him now before more people wake up to this.
The Missing Piece
I have to mention, Tyrese Haliburton didn't play tonight. For a team that won on depth and role player contributions, that's actually telling you something. Indiana still found a way to win without their franchise point guard, which speaks to their development and depth. But if Haliburton gets healthy and back on the court, this team gets even scarier. That's not necessarily bad for fantasy, it just means the pie gets bigger but also gets sliced differently.
What You Actually Do Monday
If you own Vučević, you're holding. One elite night doesn't erase his season average of 16.8/9.1, but it shows he can go off in the right matchups. Keep him.
Aaron Nesmith is worth a pickup if he's sitting on waivers in your league. He's not going to blow you away every night, but nights like this show he can be reliable. That's the difference between winning weeks and losing them.
Jay Huff and Jalen Smith are your add candidates off this game. Both showed they can contribute real minutes and real production. If your league is 12+ teams, they're available and worth the speculative add.
Josh Giddey owners, don't panic yet. One bad night doesn't mean he's broken. But if this becomes a pattern, you need to have a backup plan brewing.
The Pacers just showed you how to win without needing a superstar to go nuclear every night. That's good basketball. For fantasy, it means depth matters more than you think.