The MASH unit also known as Charlotte Frelons The court needed someone to step in for them. The absence of Mark Williams, Nick Richards and Miles Bridges against the Indiana Pacers paved the way for Moussa Diabaté, a first-year Hornet on a two-way contract, to dominate last season’s Eastern Conference runners-up on the glass in a bouncy performance for the age.

Diabaté pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds against the Pacers. His activity on the boards frustrated opposing big men Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam all night, going over, under, around and through them to make his presence known inside. According to StatMuse, Diabaté’s +34 plus/minus was the highest plus/minus in a game by a player with 15+ rebounds and no points in the 21st century.

Following this evening’s competition, Diabaté his teammate Brandon Miller and his head coach Charles Lee were asked about his unique evening on stage. Here’s what they had to say.

“After the game, I made sure of course…I talk a lot, so I talked about a lot of things, but one of the things I just ended with was, ‘What impact do you have on victory without scoring?’ And he found a way to do it today I’m super proud of him like you said, 15 rebounds, zero points, and I think three or four huge blocks not to be too bogged down by the. score, stats and scores He did a lot of the dirty work tonight, and you need guys who are willing to take on that role and he did a great job tonight.

Diabaté was a squeegee on the glass tonight, maximizing his defense and rebounding badges in one game, and his running mate Brandon Miller took note.

“Just effort. With him, he doesn’t really care about scoring the ball. Zero points, 15 rebounds, three blocks. All the guys said he gave us his best every night and made all winning games.”

While Miller and co-star LaMelo Ball carry the brunt of the scoring load (the duo combined for 60 of Charlotte’s 103 points), they need teammates to do the dirty work. Diabaté did it all tonight and more, with his +36 telling the story of his major impact on tonight’s match. The Hornets’ next game, a road date with the Philadelphia 76ers, will be slightly easier without Joel Embiid in the lineup, but Diabaté won’t rest on his laurels. The battery-powered big man Energizer Bunny will be ready to go in 48 hours, looking to double down on his impressive performance in tonight’s victory.

MORE HORNET STORIES ON SI

Brandon Miller’s season-high propels the Hornets to a thrilling win over the Pacers.