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Moussa Diabaté's emphatic rebounding performance against the Pacers was one for the ages

Matt Alquiza

Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
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The MASH unit also known as the Charlotte Hornets front court needed somebody to step up in their stead. Mark Williams, Nick Richards, and Miles Bridges' absence against the Indiana Pacers set the stage for Moussa Diabaté, a first-year Hornet on a two-way contract, to dominate last season's Eastern Conference finalists on the glass in a rebounding performance for the ages.

Diabaté pulled down 15 rebounds against the Pacers, a career-high. His activity on the boards frustrated opposing big men Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam all night, going over, under, around, and through them to make his presence known on the interior. According to StatMuse, Diabaté's plus/minus of +34 was highest plus/minus in a game by a player with 15+ rebounds and no points in the 21st century.

Following tonight's contest, Diabaté's teammate Brandon Miller and his head coach Charles Lee were asked about his once-in-a-lifetime night on the boards. Here's what they had to say.

Lee: 'He did a lot of the dirty work tonight'

"After the game I made sure to obviously...I talk a lot, so I talked about a lot of things, but one of the things I kind of just finished with was, 'how do you impact winning without scoring?' And he found a way to do that today. I'm super proud of him. Happy with the effort he gave. Like you said, what, 15 rebounds, zero points, and I think three or four huge blocks? Proud of him for not being so bogged down with the box score, and stats, and scoring. He did a lot of the dirty work tonight, and you need guys that are willing to embrace that role and he did a great job of that tonight."

Diabaté was a squeegee on the glass tonight, maxing out his defense and rebounding badges in one contest, and his running mate Brandon Miller took notice.

Miller: Moussa made the 'winning plays'

"Just effort. With him, he doesn't really care about scoring the ball. Zero points, 15 rebounds, three blocks. All of the guys were saying he gives us his hardest every night and makes all of the winning plays."

While Miller and his co-star LaMelo Ball carry the brunt of the scoring load (the duo combined for 60 of Charlotte's 103 points), they need teammates to do the dirty work. Diabaté did all of it tonight and then some, with his +36 telling the story of his major impact on tonight's game. The Hornets next matchup, a date with the Phiiladelphia 76ers on the road, will be slightly easier without Joel Embiid in the lineup, but Diabaté won't rest on his laurels. The Energizer Bunny battery powered big man will be ready to go in 48 hours, looking to double down on his impressive performance in tonight's victory.

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Matt Alquiza
MATT ALQUIZA

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