Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla decided to go smaller after big man Luke Kornet left Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals with a left wrist sprain in the first quarter.
Oshae Brissett played 12 minutes off the bench for Boston helping the Celtics secure the 126-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.
“You gotta give credit where credit is due,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell told reporters after Indiana’s loss. “Oshae came in and really sat down and defended really well.”
Brissett collected three rebounds and three steals and went 1-for-1 from the floor with a dunk. The 25-year-old had logged 15 minutes in total through the previous two playoff rounds entering the night.
“It’s exciting. I’m really, really excited,” Brissett told reporters, as seen on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “That was my first time playing like this. Just trying to soak it all in, but ultimately just trying to win.”
His stat line might’ve not jumped off the page, but the spark and versatility Brissett provided for the Celtics were meaningful enough for Mazzulla to play him in the second half.
“Just trying to do everything I can to get the win,” Brissett said. “Try to do everything I can to give us some energy. We were playing really well, but going into that time, we could definitely turn things around — positive or negative. I feel like I did a good job of turning us in a positive way and keeping that energy up.”
Mazzulla told reporters after the game he did not have an update on the injured Kornet. If Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis are not available for Game 3 on Saturday night, Brissett might be called upon again to help keep Al Horford’s minutes down.
