Oshae Brissett, the unsung hero in the “revenge game” against the Pacers

Oshae Brissett, the unsung hero in the “revenge game” against the Pacers, originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics looked sluggish on both ends of the court early in Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers. Then Oshae Brissett came along.

Brissett replaced the injured Luke Kornet (left wrist) as the C's played small-ball early in the second quarter of Thursday's game. Trailing by two points to begin the period, they jumped out to a 20-0 lead and never trailed for the rest of their 126-110 victory. While Jaylen Brown (40 points, 17 in the second quarter) rightfully takes most of the credit for Boston's turnaround, Brissett's influence should not be underestimated.

The former Pacer's energy was infectious. He grabbed two rebounds in his first two minutes and his solid defense helped Indiana not make a single shot in the first six minutes of the period. His final numbers aren't exactly spectacular, but his contributions went far beyond the stat sheet.

“Just his presence, his energy, his athleticism,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Brissett. “He plays with so much intensity and energy. That's great for us.”

Brissett finished with two points, three rebounds and three steals, and was +18 in 12 minutes, tied with Brown for the game's highest score.

Before Thursday, Brissett had only played during garbage time in the playoffs and played a maximum of five minutes. He talked about the change in mindset that comes with playing in the postseason compared to the regular season.

“It's very different,” he said. “The preparation, the focus, the attention to detail is definitely more pronounced in these games. Training, filming, just talking amongst the guys, it's definitely a step up, a couple of levels.”

“And you know, this would be my first time with a championship team. It's incredible. I really feel like I'm all in, really focusing on all the little details and things that I never really paid attention to before just because I didn't have the experience. So I feel like I'm in a good position.”

While Brissett's performance may be overlooked by game-watchers, it certainly wasn't overlooked by his teammates.

“I'm happy to see that,” Holiday said of Brissett's +18. “And he stays ready. He hasn't played a lot of minutes this postseason. He probably hasn't played as much as he wanted to in the regular season. But I think that's part of his sacrifice and his willingness to stay ready.

“I know it's been hard to keep him ready because you don't really get that much game practice, but the way he came out and played – I think in the first two minutes he had two rebounds and great stops – it just makes me really excited and happy to see him do that because, one, it's a confidence boost and two, playing against his old team.”

In addition to bringing energy on the court, Brissett also seemed to generate excitement in the locker room. According to Jay King of The Athletic, Holiday and fellow veteran Al Horford hyped Brissett during his media appearance.

Depending on the severity of Kornet's injury, the Celtics could play more small ball in this series going forward. Given their success with Brissett in the lineup and Tatum at the five in Game 2, they could opt to play the small lineup even if Kornet is healthy.

Whatever the case, the Celtics are confident that they can keep up with the team and fight their way to the NBA Finals.

“They do a great job of controlling chaos. They move the ball, they move bodies, they play fast,” Holiday said of the Pacers. “But so can we. We can play small, we can play big, we can slow down, we can play fast, we can execute.”

The Celtics will look to build a commanding 3-0 series lead when the series moves to Indiana on Saturday, with play set to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Coverage of Game 3 begins at 7:30 p.m. with Celtics live before the game on NBC Sports Boston.