Point guard Ryan Nembhard of Aurora, Ontario made the NBA record books on Sunday according to the Associated Press. In a dominant 149-128 Mavericks win over the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, Nembhard set the record for most assists in a game by a Canadian with 23. Nembhard also had the double-double as he had 15 points.
Nembhard broke the record previously set by Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash of Victoria, British Columbia. Nash had 22 assists for the Phoenix Suns on January 2, 2006. The Suns lost this particular game by a score of 140-133 to the New York Knicks in triple overtime.
Nembhard also broke the Mavericks franchise record for most assists in a game by a rookie. The previous record was set by current Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. The Hall of Fame point guard had 17 assists in a 130-125 Mavericks win over the Golden State Warriors on March 13, 1995.
In Nembhard’s rookie season, he is averaging 6.6 points per game, 5.3 assists per game, and 2.2 rebounds per game. Nembhard has a field goal percentage of .415, three point percentage of .356, and free throw percentage of .806.
It has been a very tough season for the Mavericks. They missed the playoffs and tied for 11th place in the Eastern Conference with the New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams were at 26 wins and 56 losses.
