Thomas Bryant has an 'indomitable spirit' and showed it again with pivotal play, helping lift Pacers to NBA Finals

Thomas Bryant is known as the biggest cheerleader for this Indiana Pacers team. It’s his emotion that makes him such a good teammate — regardless of his time spent on the floor. Throughout these NBA Playoffs, that excitement and energy was tested. On Saturday night, it came full circle for the former IU basketball standout.

As the Pacers stood at mid court with Eastern Conference Champions T-Shirts and hats that said ‘Finals’ on them, it was Thomas Bryant’s emotions that were once again on display — with tears running down his face.

Why? The hard work that went into his performance in Saturday’s Game Six 125-108 win over the New York Knicks.

And it was Eastern Conference Finals MVP Pascal Siakam who singled Bryant out during his on-court interview, for everyone to hear.

“One of the things that he did when he was sitting down, he was the best guy on the bench cheering for everyone,” Siakam said on TNT’s broadcast. He lost his minutes and kept cheering for everyone. That’s basketball. The basketball gods are going to repay you when you’re that type of teammate. He was so laser focused and helped us win the game tonight.”

That laser focus translated into his best performance of the playoffs this year. He had 11 points and hit three 3s in 13 minutes off the bench. He also added three rebounds and a block.

His minutes and production came in the middle of the third quarter when he hit two 3s in a two minute span to help lift the Pacers lead from eight to 15. In those moments, his play changed the trajectory of the game.

“He was big (tonight),” Siakam continued following the game. “It’s not easy — you’re in the lineup then all of the sudden you’re not in the lineup anymore. It can be tough. I give him credit. He didn’t play those games but he was the first one cheering, getting up … I told him, ‘the basketball Gods will reward you when you play basketball the right way and have the right spirit’. He had his chance tonight and took advantage of it.”

Saturday’s performance came after two coaches decision’s DNPs in both Game Two and Game Three, followed up with four minutes in a Game Five blowout loss.

But much like Bryant did in the Pacers’ close-out Game Five against the Cleveland Cavaliers last series, he stayed ready and prepared.

“Thomas Bryant, talk about a guy who has a great spirit and is always ready,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the win. “His 3s, blocked shots, rebounds, his rim running. It was all pivotal stuff.

“Thomas has an indomitable spirit as a person and a player … he is into it and he is ready. He’s had a flare for these moments. … the 3s he made for us today were huge. Just about staying ready. He was key.”

Bryant, who was acquired by the Pacers in mid December, had all but fallen out of the normal rotation for the Miami Heat before his arrival in Indianapolis. He had nine straight DNPs and 13 of the first 23 games of the season. In those moments, it could have been easy for him to pack it in and lean towards negativity. He didn’t. And he didn’t feel sorry for himself.

“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,’ but that’s not always true,” Bryant told The Athletic’s James Boyd in the locker room. “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.”

The resilient Thomas Bryant is averaging just 9.7 minutes a game in the postseason. But whether it’s those 9.7 minutes that he’s on the floor, or the other 39 minutes that he’s off, his consistency as a teammate is pivotal for this team and their run to the NBA Finals.

“Man, I’ve been playing against Thomas since high school. He’s always had that enthusiasm, that energy and that skill,” Myles Turner said. ” … And he didn’t complain. He didn’t pout. If you watch any film, he’s the first one up on the bench (cheering for us). First one gassing us up, talking to us and getting us right. Me going down in foul trouble (on Saturday), he got his opportunity and he didn’t look back.”

Now, there is no looking back as the Pacers are set to square off with the Oklahoma City Thunder for a chance to win their first NBA Championship — and if this postseason has shown anything, it’s that Thomas Bryant will have his moment at some point, and likely play a role at a significant moment for this team.

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