Thomas Bryant emerges as unlikely hero to help Pacers into NBA Finals

New York Times

2 days ago

INDIANAPOLIS – Myles Turner was on the mic, speaking to a euphoric crowd that if it were allowed, would've stayed there all night. The Pacers had just knocked off the New York Knicks, 125-108, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to advance to the NBA finals for the first time in 25 years. And Turner, the longest-tenured Pacer, was spilling his heart to the city.
Advertisement
He spoke about embracing adversity, being the underdog and fighting for respect.
'People don't watch us,' Turner said on Saturday. All the while, his teammate, Thomas Bryant, could barely watch him.
The Pacers backup center, donning an Eastern Conference champ T-shirt and hat, was doubled over on the scorer's table at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as Turner gave his speech. Tears ran down Bryant's face while he pounded his fist on the table in celebration, but his personal precipitation wasn't just birthed from joy.
Those tears? They came from pain and pride. Trials and triumphs. Doubt and deliverance.
'There's a lot of times when you have to believe when nobody else even believes,' Bryant said in the locker room afterward. 'Even sometimes you have to believe it when you don't even believe it. You have to make yourself believe it and just stay the course.
'There were times I never thought I'd see the court again.'
Nearly six months ago, Bryant was an afterthought, receiving 13 DNPs on a middling Miami Heat team. But in light of Indiana's backup centers, James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson, both tearing their Achilles early in the season, Indiana acquired Bryant in December for a 2031 second-round pick swap. The hope was for Bryant to bolster the Pacers frontcourt and keep the team humming whenever its starting center, Turner, needed a breather.
On Saturday night, however, Bryant was an unlikely hero, totaling a playoff career-high 11 points, three rebounds and one block in in 13 high-energy minutes to help the Pacers return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000.
'It's a lot of emotions, man, just going through the past year of just the ups and downs of the NBA,' Bryant said, choking up again. 'Playing, not playing, being totally out of the lineup, getting spare minutes here and there. And then, getting traded and not really knowing what the future might hold, but you just know you wanted to come contribute to a team and try to help them win in any way possible.'
Advertisement
Bryant got the biggest opportunity of his career to do just that in Game 6, and he delivered in catalytic fashion. After Turner picked up his fourth foul at the 10:14 mark of the third quarter, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle was forced to rely on his bench and his only other healthy center: Bryant. Four seconds after subbing in for Turner, Bryant blocked a layup attempt by Knicks forward OG Anunoby, which sparked a fast break. On the other end, Pascal Siakam, who scored a game-high 31 points, converted an and-1 layup while falling to the floor. Bryant was the first player to help him up, but before eagerly pulling Siakam to his feet, Bryant screamed and flexed in his face to celebrate the acrobatic finish.
'You don't gotta worry about T.B.; T.B. is always gonna bring that energy,' said teammate Aaron Nesmith, who was trailing the play. 'I've never met somebody whether it be up, down, rainy, sunny – he's always bringing that energy and that's a skill. That's a skill for real.'
Bryant continued making timely plays by drilling a corner 3 with about eight minutes left in the third quarter, his second of the night, to push Indiana's lead up to 11 points. He high-fived a few courtside fans as he ran back on defense and repeated the celebration a few plays later when he drilled his third corner 3-pointer that put Indiana ahead by 15 points.
This time, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau called a timeout for his team to regroup, and Bryant probably needed the stoppage, as well. As the 6-foot-10 center ran back to the huddle, he jumped to chest bump teammate Quenton Jackson and roared to the crowd while his emotions bubbled over. Pacers assistant Lloyd Pierce pulled Bryant aside, reminding him that he should view his energy like money and he can't spend it all in one place.
Bryant heeded Pierce's advice, though it was not an easy request after seeing his role change drastically through the series. The 27-year-old began the Eastern Conference finals as the backup center, but poor showings in Games 1 and 2 led to him being benched in Games 3 and 4 in favor of Tony Bradley, who initially joined the Pacers on a 10-day contract in March. It wasn't until Bradley strained his hip in Game 5 that Bryant regained his spot in the rotation and gave the Pacers a jolt in Game 6. Siakam called Bryant's resurgent performance a reward from 'the basketball Gods;' Carlisle credited Bryant's 'indomitable spirit;' and Turner simply thanked his teammate for his professionalism.
Advertisement
'Man, I've been playing against Thomas since high school,' Turner said. 'He's always had that enthusiasm, that energy and that skill. … And he didn't complain. He didn't pout. If you watch any film, bro, he's the first one up on the bench (cheering), first one gassing us up, talking to us and getting us right. Me going down in foul trouble, he got his opportunity (Saturday) and he didn't look back.'
Bryant, a New York native and former Indiana University star, acknowledged that it was serendipitous to send the Knicks home with a notable performance off the bench as a Pacer. He never dreamed of that moment because, candidly, there were days even recently when he prayed for 'just one minute' to prove himself.
Bryant validated his worth Saturday, and he's hungry to solidify it even more against Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals. He's been on this stage before, winning a championship with the Nuggets in 2022-23, but Bryant played just 29 seconds during that 20-game playoff run and only appeared at the very end of Game 3 of the finals. He hopes to play a lot more in his second go round, though he vowed to be prepared regardless.
'A lot of people – when things go left or they don't get their way or they don't get the playing time they want – they say they got 'screwed over,'' Bryant said. 'But that's not always true. You still gotta stay resilient through it. I hope that people realize that I stayed resilient, and because of that I was able to contribute and accomplish things that other people never thought I'd do.'