The Indiana Pacers entered Tuesday night's Play-In game against the Charlotte Hornets missing key starters Caris LeVert and Myles Turner, but Canadian Oshae Brissett more than filled the void..he was the star man on the night.
Leading the Pacers to a blowout 144-117 win, the Toronto, Ontario native was dominant from start to finish, piling up a game-high 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and 3-of-6 from the 3-point line.
His 3-pointer in the third quarter ballooned the lead to 29 points and he let the Hornets know all about it.
Oshae Brissett for 👌 pic.twitter.com/a0hZtKzjv3
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 19, 2021
"He's confident, he knows his role on the team. He stays in his lane and he's a great teammate," Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon said of Brissett post-game.
"He makes big shots, he plays the game the right way. I enjoy playing with guys who play the right way, both sides of the ball, make the extra pass."
After being cut by the Toronto Raptors in December, Brissett, 22, began this season in the G-League with the Fort Wayne Mad Antz, before signing two 10-day contracts across March and April with the Pacers, eventually signing a three-year deal with the team after his impressive audition.
He started the team's final 16 games of the regular season, averaging 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 21 appearances, making the most of his opportunity under the bright lights of postseason basketball.
THROW THAT DOWN OSHAE 😤 pic.twitter.com/0SULNBzsKn
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 19, 2021
"On these rosters there's a lot of very capable players of having big games," Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren said.
"Oshae is one of those guys who has put so much time into it. He spends a lot of time on his shooting and finishing at the rim but you've heard me say this about Oshae, I think his instincts are very good. I think he's in the right spot at the right time, his spacing is good, his weak side movements are very good and I like the way that he cuts."
With the win, the Pacers advance in the Play-In Tournament and will face either the Boston Celtics vs Washington Wizards Thursday night, with the winner earning the No.8 seed in the Eastern Conference and a first-round date with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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