Syracuse Basketball: On big NBA stage, Oshae Brissett delivers the goods

Former Syracuse basketball player Oshae Brissett on Tuesday night helped lead the Indiana Pacers to a win in the NBA’s initial Eastern Conference play-in tournament game, and I couldn’t be happier for the role that he has carved out with the Pacers.

A two-year player for the Orange, the 6-foot-7 forward from Canada wasn’t chosen in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Toronto Raptors, a squad that captured the NBA title two seasons ago, signed Brissett as an undrafted free agent but waived him last December.

Brissett then joined the Pacers on two 10-day contracts, according to media reports, but his strong performance toward the end of the 2020-21 campaign has earned him a multi-year deal and a starting role with the NBA team.

On Tuesday evening, the No. 9 seed Indiana throttled No. 10 seed Charlotte, 144-117, from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. With this victory, the Pacers move on to compete versus the No. 8 seed Washington Wizards in our nation’s capital on Thursday, May 20, beginning at 8 pm and with television coverage on TNT.

Whichever squad prevails on Thursday will wrap up the No. 8 overall seed in the Eastern Conference and advance to a first-round series with top-seeded Philadelphia.

Former Syracuse basketball star Oshae Brissett is shining in the pros.

Against the Hornets, Brissett tallied a team-high 23 points on an impressive 10-of-14 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. This effort amounted to the third time in the present stanza that Brissett paced Indiana in scoring, according to an announcement on nba.com.

Brissett said in that press release, “I try to take every game and keep it the same. That’s kind of how I’ve been able to focus up and stay calm throughout these games. But, (it’s) really like any other moment. Being out there with those guys is a blessing and an honor. I’m just happy to be able to do my part.”

In another recent contest, Brissett collected a career-high 31 points as the Pacers clinched the Eastern Conference’s ninth seed by conquering Toronto, 125-113, on the final day of the 2020-21 regular season.

"Regarding Brissett’s contributions, Indiana head coach Nate Bjorkgren said via a press release, “He’s been doing a great job playing his role the right way. His size out there at that four spot makes him very versatile. He can hit the three like you’ve seen. He’s rebounding it, he had double-digits in boards here again (today). I think he does a good job of cutting when he’s supposed to cut. His instincts are good. But just his overall work ethic is what got him here. He’s been a worker his entire life and plays hard and he’s going to continue to play hard and get better.”"

Per Brissett’s bio on the ESPN Web site, in 2020-21 he is averaging 24.7 minutes, 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per affair, while hitting on 48.3 percent from the field, a terrific 42.3 percent from deep and 76.9 percent from the charity stripe.

A four-star forward in the 2017 recruiting cycle coming out of Athlete Institute Prep in Mono, Ontario, Brissett competed in two NCAA Tournaments during his tenure on the Hill.

As a freshman, the ‘Cuse made a surprise run to the Sweet 16, where it fell to Duke in a close game in the regional semi-finals. When Brissett was a sophomore, Syracuse basketball lost to Baylor in the round of 64.