Tony Bradley helped Pacers blunt Knicks’ rebounding edge
INDIANAPOLIS — Whereas Tom Thibodeau’s rotation is getting even shorter because the playoffs progress, Rick Carlisle went 11-deep in an in depth sport Friday evening because the Pacers seized a 2-0 sequence lead over the Knicks.
After acknowledging that his workforce was outdone on the boards in Recreation 1, Carlisle turned to little-used reserve large man Tony Bradley for a few transient stints to fight Mitchell Robinson’s athleticism on the boards.
Bradley solely had performed 17 minutes of mop-up obligation in 4 appearances within the postseason, however he banged our bodies a couple of occasions and grabbed a few rebounds with a optimistic ranking of plus-1 in eight minutes — 4 every within the second and third quarters — within the Pacers’ 114-109 victory in Recreation 2 on the Backyard.
“Tony Bradley hasn’t performed within the sequence, however he’s one among our higher rebounders,” Carlisle mentioned after the sport. “We elected to go together with him to spell Myles [Turner] a bit of bit. We’re a workforce that wants everyone. That’s how we’ve bought to play.”
Turner and backup middle Thomas Bryant every picked up two fouls within the first half, and Carlisle didn’t hesitate to show to the 6-foot-10 Bradley, a 2017 first-round select of North Carolina.
In contrast, reliable veteran large Valuable Achiuwa and late-season pickup P.J. Tucker haven’t gotten off the Knicks bench in both sport.
Thibodeau solely has used Robinson and guard Miles McBride together with doling out heavy minutes to his beginning 5.
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Backup guard Cam Payne was the one different second-team participant to get within the sport, and he logged 9 scoreless minutes.
“I simply was prepared when my identify was known as,” the 27-year-old Bradley mentioned, in line with the Indianapolis Star. “I work laborious each day simply staying in form, simply being a great teammate. I’m prepared to only go laborious. That’s all I do know.
“I used to be simply targeted on maintaining Robinson off the glass. Staying in touch with him, maintaining a physique on him. making an attempt to get him drained.”
The Pacers are up 2-0 regardless of the Knicks holding an 84-70 rebounding edge, seven extra in every sport.
Robinson logged a playoff-high 29 minutes for the Knicks, together with a number of alongside Karl-Anthony Cities, who sat out for a seven-minute stretch of the fourth quarter.
Robinson completed the sport with six factors, 9 rebounds (4 offensive) and three blocked pictures, however solely one among his rebounds got here with Bradley on the courtroom.
“Shoutout to Tony Bradley. Tony Bradley was large,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton mentioned. “He got here in for us and actually bought thrown in with our group that has been collectively for therefore lengthy. Tony is simply an superior man and contributes in so many various methods.
“After we’re doing our scout by all these sequence, he’s needed to be the scout middle. There’s been occasions when he will get thrown in our first group to take a few of Myles’ reps when guys are going by issues or are a bit of banged up or regardless of the case could also be. It’s simply so particular to see what our group is doing.”