On Monday, the Mavericks were on the road to face the Nuggets. Anthony Davis was back for his second-straight game and had a strong performance. His 32 points and 13 rebounds lifted Dallas to a 131-121 win.Â
The second-highest scorer for the Mavs on Monday was undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard. He played a team-high 35 minutes and was a key piece in their win. Nembard finished the game with 28 points, three rebounds, and 10 assists. Dallas’ PR department noted that Ryan Nembhard is the first undrafted rookie with 28 points, 10 assists, and zero turnovers in a game.
Ryan Nembhard could be a diamond in the rough for Dallas
Ryan Nembhard became the first undrafted rookie in the modern draft era (since 1967) to record 25+ pts, 10+ asts with no turnovers (28 pts, 10 asts).
He is the first rookie to record 25-pts, 10 asts with 0 TOs since Stephon Marbury (30-11 vs. MIN, 11/29/1996), per @EliasSports. pic.twitter.com/5K2TOWT1oE
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) December 2, 2025
In 2025, Ryan Nembhard went undrafted out of Gonzaga. The 22-year-old spent four seasons at the collegiate level. His first two were with the Creighton BlueJays, and his final two with the Bulldogs. After going undrafted, Nembhard signed a two-way contract with Dallas. So far in 2025-26, Nembhard has played in nine games and made three starts for the Mavericks.
Against the Nuggets on Monday, Nembhard had the best performance of his young NBA career. In 35 minutes, Nembhard finished with 28 points, three rebounds, and 10 assists. He was an efficient 12-14 from the field and 4-5 from beyond the arc. According to the Mavericks’ PR department, Ryan Nembhard made NBA history vs. Denver.
Ryan Nembhard entered rare air with his performance last night!
He joined Stephon Marbury and Michael Finley as the ONLY rookies in NBA history with 25+ points, 10+ assists, and 0 turnovers in a single game since 1977-78, the first season turnovers were fully recorded. https://t.co/SCGnnrXVsD pic.twitter.com/zxcJMDJ85r
— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2025
Ryan Nembhard is the first undrafted rookie to record 28 points, 10 assists, and zero turnovers in a game. Additionally, he is the first rookie since Stephon Marbury in 1996-97 to have 25/10. Nembhard is the younger brother of Pacers’ guard Andrew Nembhard. Both went undrafted to start their career.
Andrew Nembhard has carved out a nice career so far with Indiana. His brother Ryan hopes to do the same with Dallas. The undrafted rookie had a breakout game on Monday vs. the Nuggets. He could earn more playing time from head coach Jason Kidd. Especially while the team waits for Kyrie Irving to make his season debut. Ryan Nembhard scored a career-high 17 points on 11/28. He followed that up with a new career-high of 28 points on December 1. The rookie looks like a key rotational piece for years to come.
