Former Pacer Oshae Brissett makes impact for Celtics in Eastern Conference finals

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tyrese Haliburton said his former teammate and close friend Oshae Brissett was a non-believer and that he didn't think the Pacers could make it this far. Brissett doesn't remember the conversation that way.

Haliburton said in a media availability session between Game 1 and Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals that he told Brissett, who signed with the Celtics in July, to expect to see the Pacers in this round of the playoffs.

"There was a lot of chit-chat between us all year and I told him we were going to play in the Eastern Conference finals all year," said Haliburton, who calls Brissett one of his best friends. "He kinda laughed at me. So here we are."

Brissett said he didn't react with that much disbelief.

"We definitely joked about it and laughed about it," Brissett said. "He definitely did say I'll meet you guys in the conference finals. I remember that because that was a while back. I didn't say nothing. I was like, 'Alright bro, just get there. We have to get there, you just get there.'"

It's been fun for Brissett to play in a series with his former team, he said, noting that the Pacers gave him a chance to establish himself in the league.

Brissett went undrafted out of Syracuse. The Raptors signed him to an Exhibit 10 contract which eventually became a two-way deal and then a full-time contract, but he was released just before the 2020-21 season began. The Pacers signed him to a 10-day contract in April 2021 and then another and he averaged 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 21 games the rest of that season. The next two years, he became a key part of the Pacers' bench and averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his time in Indiana. The Pacers opted not to try to re-sign him in July, but he turned his time with the Pacers into a two-year, $4.6 million deal with the Celtics.

"Being here is cool because this is where I got my name back in the NBA," Brissett said. "I'll always have love for Indiana. Now it's time to play them. It's pretty cool."

Brissett's time in his first season has been limited. Like former teammate Aaron Nesmith, who was trapped behind All-NBA wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with the Celtics before the Pacers acquired him in a trade in July of 2022, Brissett has found it hard to get consistent playing time behind the same players. He appeared in 55 games this season, averaging 11.5 minutes, 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds.

Prior to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, Brissett had appeared in just five of the Celtics' 11 playoff games and hadn't played more than five minutes, 20 seconds in any one of them. However, he stayed ready, and he played more than 12 minutes in Game 2. The Celtics were already down a center with Kristaps Porzingis dealing with a calf strain, and fellow center Luke Kornet sprained his wrist. The Celtics decided to play smaller, bringing in the 6-7, 210-pound Brissett to play along with Brown and Tatum with a frontcourt full of wing types that could switch 1-5 on all actions. There were times when Brissett was guarding Pacers 6-11 center Myles Turner and switches where he ended up on 6-1 T.J. McConnell.

"That always continues, just staying ready," Brissett said. "I went in there, played my role, trying to make the game easier for our other guys by just being ready and as effective as I can be. ... At the end of the day, it's just basketball. I'm going out there and try my hardest and focus on whoever I'm guarding whether it's Myles or T.J. We switched 1 through 5, sometimes, 1 through 3, 1 through 4, and I thought everybody did a great job of standing up Myles or Pascal (Siakam) at the elbow."

Brissett recorded three steals in 12 minutes and also grabbed three rebounds added a thunderous dunk on offense. The Celtics were +18 in his time on the floor and won 126-110 to take a 2-0 series lead.

"Oshae came in and really sat down and defended very well," McConnell said. "Just brought a different dynamic to their team. They were able to switch 1 through 5 and he came in and really changed the game defensively for them. Obviously a friend of mine. Happy for him. It's something we've seen many times. Teams switch 1 through 5. We just have to be a lot better."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Former Pacer Oshae Brissett makes impact off bench for Celtics