BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla had not had to go deep into his bench amid the Celtics run to the Eastern Conference Finals before Game 2. He stuck to a tight eight-man rotation for most contests outside of a couple brief stints for Xavier Tillman against the Cavaliers. That equation changed early in the first quarter of Game 2 once Luke Kornet left the game with a sprained left wrist.
Without Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis available, Mazzulla was going to have to get creative with his lineup choices. Amid plenty of clamoring of playing some Jayson Tatum at center after Game 1, the Celtics coach also turned to another small ball option in Oshae Brissett.
The reserve forward had not been a part of the Boston rotation for months but got a crucial chance against his former team in a big spot. He entered the game with 10:39 remaining in the second quarter and the Celtics nursing a 29-27 lead after going on a 7-0 run. However, the momentum continued with Brissett on the floor as the hosts pushed their run to 18-0, building a double-digit lead in the process.
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Brissett’s initial stint was brief (just three minutes) but his impact was meaningful enough where he got an extended chance in the second half. His defensive versatility was on display as he switched well onto the Pacers guards, making him a better defender for those individual matchups than Kornet or even Horford in certain spots. He provided a spark with his athleticism (three steals) in his 12 minutes while also finishing a dunk and grabbing three rebounds.
“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. So I feel like I did a good job of turning us in the positive way and keeping that energy up.”
Brissett finished his night with a team-best plus-18 in 12 minutes, all while making the case for some additional minutes against a quick Pacers squad that lacks meaningful size in the front court.
The performance highlighted a big bounce back effort from Boston’s bench in Game 2. Payton Pritchard found his shooting rhythm, posting 12 points in 19 minutes. Sam Hauser bounced back in a big way defensively despite struggling with his jump shot (0-of-4) but it was Brissett’s defensive impact that stood out among his teammates.
“The way that they play, they move the ball, they move bodies and they play fast, but we can also do that,” Jrue Holiday said. “We can go small, we can go big, we can play fast, we can slow down and execute. I think adding Oshae out there is just a different element where all five guys, if we were switching or if we’re staying with our men, we’re capable of doing so many different things.”
The hidden benefit from Brissett’s impact was also keeping Al Horford’s minutes down (25 total) on a night Boston was without two of their top three center options. Brissett earned the trust of Mazzulla as the second half wore on and rewarded that faith with consistent defense on switches.
“Just his presence, his energy, his athleticism, just gave us – I think he had a dunk, that steal that got us out in transition, a couple rebounds,” Mazzulla said. “He plays with such a high level of intensity and energy. It’s big for us.”
With Kornet’s status uncertain moving forward in the series and Porzingis not projected back until Game 4 at the earliest, Brissett could find his way back into the rotation for Game 3 in Indiana.
“It’s exciting,” Brissett said. “This is my first time playing like this. Just trying to soak it all in. But ultimately, just trying to win.”
