On Thursday night, the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers faced off for their second game in the Eastern Conference Finals. After Jaylen Brown’s late brilliance in the previous game to force OT and a win, the Celtics continued their dominance at the TD Garden with a 126-110 win in game 2.
Kristaps Porzingis was again absent due to his ongoing injury, but the Celtics had enough in the tank to beat the Indiana side with some contributions from Oshae Brissett. Following the game, when Oshae was on media duty, Jrue Holiday shouted “revenge game” and Al Horford let out some barks.
The answer to those wondering why this happened is in the statement itself. Before his move to Boston, Brissett was signed with the Indiana Pacers until last season. The 25-year-old went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft and then joined the Raptors on a two-way contract. In the 19 games he played for the Toronto franchise, he struggled to make his mark with only 1.9 points per game.
His luck improved after joining the Pacers the next season, where he averaged 10.9 points in 16 starts out of 21 games he played. He took a more prominent role in the next two seasons, but his starts sharply declined along with his stats. From 9.1 PPG in the 2021-2022 season to 6.1 in the 2022-23 was a free fall for the forward, ultimately leading to his move to Boston last summer.
Oshae Brissett’s Contribution in Game 2 Against Pacers
Due to Porzingis’ absence, Al Horford had to fill his void. The 37-year-old has played his heart out so far in the playoffs but often needed to be switched out at the closing stages. That’s where Brissett comes into play as a center despite being a forward. His 6’7″ frame helps the team close out the game, and the same happened on Thursday night.
“Just his presence, his energy, his athleticism,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Brissett. “He plays with such a high level of intensity and energy. It’s big for us,” added Mazzulla, which was evident. While his stats don’t grab the attention, his contribution was key to the Cs seeing off the game. His 3 rebounds and 3 steals in the 12 minutes of game time proved more vital than the 2 points he scored.
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A thrilled Brissett said after the game, “I was just excited. I’m still excited. I’m trying to calm myself down.” Surely he does, as the next two games of the Celtics are on the road, where the 2-0 series lead could vaporize with a very slight margin for error.
Also Read: VIDEO: Bill Belichick Spotted With Brad Stevens During Boston Celtics Game 2 Against Indiana Pacers
