Oshae Brissett puts together best game of season to help Indiana Pacers beat Toronto Raptors: 'He's doing it at a high level'

Brissett has improved as the season has progressed.

INDIANAPOLIS — Forward Oshae Brissett appeared in just four of the Indiana Pacers first eight games this season, and he only amassed 27:27 of playing time in that span. The Pacers were outscored with the 24-year old on the floor in all four of his appearances, and other forwards (James Johnson and Terry Taylor) played more often than Brissett.

In the Pacers' last four games, Brissett has become a more prominent part of the team's rotation. He's appeared in three games and played for 38:36 in that time, and Indiana outscored their opponents by 30 with the Canadian on the floor in those three outings. Brissett has been given more opportunity recently, and he's made the most of it by elevating his team.

"He's doing what's asked of him and he's doing it at a high level," Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith said of Brissett this week. "As long as he continues to do that, shoot the ball well, and he does what he does on both sides of the floor, he's going to continue to get more and more playing time."

Brissett received more minutes than he has in any other game of the season this past Saturday in Indiana's win over the Toronto Raptors. He played for 15 minutes, and over half of them came during a fantastic run of play in the fourth quarter. The four-year veteran helped the Pacers make a big comeback with his energy and finishing — he said he knew the team needed a spark, and he provided it.

In just the final frame, Brissett had eight points, which was over his season high for a whole game this season. He hit three shots, more than he had made during the rest of the season combined. And he made several solid defensive plays that gave the Pacers energy. It was the peak of his season so far.

"Oshae [Brissett] demonstrated what a professional is. A professional is someone that keeps their head down, keeps working, stays ready, doesn't complain, [and] is always upbeat," head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game.

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Carlisle didn't like the way his team played in the first half. But not just on the court. It was their effort and nature that frustrated the head coach. Players were sulking and letting the Raptors beat them the same way over and over again. Guys weren't cheering on their teammates and were complaining to officials. It wasn't the culture the Pacers want in games.

In the second half, that all changed. The Pacers roster played for each other and were the aggressors. They looked much better and came back from down 15 points to pull off the win.

Brissett, between his play and his energy, is the perfect embodiment of that turnaround. "He's been encouraging his teammates, and he's been pushing himself. What more can you ask of a player? Particularly a young player," Carlisle said of the young forward. "He's in his third or fourth year. This is where guys turn a corner and really learn what being a professional and being a winning player means."

Brissett went through a similar playing time situation last season. He only played in eight of the Pacers first 16 games, and he received less than ten minutes of playing time in five of those appearances.

But he kept growing and proved how he could help the 2021-22 Pacers. He would go on to play in all but four of the team's final 59 games, and his abilities on both ends were beneficial to the rebuilding team.

This year, Brissett went through something similar. But he has recently shown how effective he can be, and the three-year Pacer put together his best game of the season on Saturday when he had a season-high in both points and rebounds.

"It always feels great seeing the work show for itself. Through anything, I'm just going to continue to be myself. Playing or not, I love basketball and I love my teammates," Brissett said after that game. He spoke on the podium after giving the team a huge boost down the stretch.

Indiana's net rating this season has been better with Brissett on the court (+3.54) than on the bench (+0.11), per pbpstats. That has mostly been a result of incredible defense with the Canadian on the floor — the Pacers have a 98.6 defensive rating in those instances. He's been impressive, especially in recent games.

"It does feel great, being out there and helping us get the win because I know that I put my time in, I put my work in to be in that position," Brissett said after the victory over the Raptors. He did share that it wasn't easy sitting out and watching early in the season.

"It is tough, for anyone in the NBA it's going to be tough. You feel like you deserve to be out there, you want to be out there. Just doing all the things that you've worked on to get better. At the end of the day, it's out of my control, and what I can control is how hard I play when I get in," he said. "It's my number one priority. Go grab a board, take a charge, get a steal. Do something to get us going."

Oshae Brissett tries to do those things every time he steps on the floor. He's athletic enough to get steals in passing lanes, he reads offenses well and puts his body on the line for charges, and he crashes the glass. And on top of that, he encourages his teammates from the bench. He's the teammate every growing squad needs, and he fits Indiana's culture well. The young forward is still a developing player who might not play every night, but on Saturday, Brissett showed why he has value and potential for the Indiana Pacers.

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