If there was ever proof that tanking is hard, the Indiana Pacers found out in the strangest of ways on Wednesday night. With no big men available, the Pacers managed to pull out an impressive win over the Thunder, a team that is actually in the market for a successful tank.
The Thunder have successfully moved on from a number of quality players and have turned them into young assets and draft picks. They know what it takes to tank and rebuild the roster, something the Pacers are still figuring out this season.
Indiana Pacers win in an odd way on Wednesday night
Indiana was forced to play a much smaller lineup than they are used to, including starting the newly-signed Oshae Brissett at center. The Thunder play with a lot of size but it was somehow not too much of a factor in the game. With Brissett at center thanks to injuries and suspensions, the Pacers pulled out the win.
Brissett was the story of the night, his first game since signing a three-year deal to stay with the Pacers. He logged 42 minutes in the frontcourt and posted 23 points with 12 rebounds in the process. For a guy that just joined the roster within the past month, the Pacers could not ask for more than they got on Wednesday.
17 points, 10 rebounds and counting from @Obrissy pic.twitter.com/oY1dbrUznk
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 22, 2021
The Pacers got some good minutes out of the usual guys as well, with Caris LeVert and Malcolm Brogdon handling most of the work on offense. LeVert finished the night with 28 points on 11-of-25 shooting and added six assists. Brogdon, on the other hand, led all scorers with 29 points and also had a game-high 15 rebounds. His seven assists were a nice little bonus.
T.J. McConnell continued to do his thing, showing up off the bench with 12 points and eight assists as part of a shortened bench unit.
Expectations for this game were not great but the Pacers came to play, which is what you love to see from a group of young guys fighting for their NBA livelihood. This is a good game to build off of as the team hits the final stretch of the season.