Oshae Brissett Leads Pacers to Victory In First Ever Play-In Tournament Game
Former Syracuse forward Oshae Brissett continued his stellar play since being inserted into the starting lineup for the Indiana Pacers. Brissett scored 23 points on 10-14 shooting, including 3-6 from beyond the arc, and grabbed five rebounds as the Pacers blew out the Charlotte Hornets 144-117. Brissett also dished out two assists. Domantas Sabonis added 14 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists for the Pacers.
With the win, the Pacers advance to face the loser of the Boston Celtics vs Washington Wizards Thursday night. Whoever wins that game will be the eight seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs and face the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
The win was even more impressive as Indiana was without star guard Caris Levert. Levert missed the game due to health and safety protocols, which means he is out for 10 to 14 days according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Without Levert, Brissett stepped up his game to help the Pacers get the win. He will need to step up again on Thursday.
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The performance Tuesday night comes on the heels of a career high 31 points in the Indiana Pacers' 125-113 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Brissett scored the 31 points on 10-16 shooting including 5-8 from beyond the arc. He added 10 rebounds and three assists. The strong outing snapped a mini-slump where Brissett had not reached double figures in scoring in three of the previous four games.
Since becoming a full time starter, Brissett has been very good for the Pacers. He has averaged 13.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game as a starter.
Brissett signed a 10-day contract in late March with the Pacers after finishing a solid season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the G-League. He signed a three year contract after a strong performance in his first start.
Brissett averaged 18.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 12 games with the Mad Ants while shooting 43.8% from the field and 33.3% from three point range. He was named to the All G-League Second Team for his performance.
The 6-7 forward spent two seasons at Syracuse. He left after the 2018-19 season and has since spent time in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors. Brissett was released this past offseason and has been in the G-League this season.
During his time with the Orange, Brissett proved to be a quality scorer and rebounder. He struggled with offensive efficiency, however, shooting just 37.1% from the floor for his Syracuse career. He averaged 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as well. Brissett started all 71 games during his two seasons.
