Cavaliers championship veteran big reverses time against division rival

The Cleveland Cavaliers may not add Tristan Thompson to the rotation often, but he has offered a handful of pleasant surprises as a veteran leader.

After establishing first place in the Eastern Conference, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson rested four starters Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus against the Indiana Pacers for the first night of a road back-to-back. With just three games remaining ahead of the playoffs, Atkinson used game 80 as an opportunity to observe the resolve of his bench unit as he refines the playoff rotation.

Former NBA Champion Tristan Thompson returned to the Cavaliers for his 11th season with the team that drafted him back in 2011. With a star frontcourt of Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the veteran big has not been called upon on a nightly basis, often serving as an injury replacement and player-coach.

While he has not played as much as he did in his prime with the Cavs, Thompson gives Cleveland a trustworthy teacher for a young and unproven contender.

Thompson's monster slam capitalizes on hustling defense

Against Indy, Thompson took the extended playing time to remind the Central Division of the two-way impact he has provided Cleveland for more than a decade. Thompson saved the ball from going out of bounds after a Sam Merrill block on T.J. McConnell, igniting a fast break on the other end.

Trailing the ball handler, Thompson catches a pass above the break and takes off down the lane to showcase some unexpected athleticism from the 34-year-old center.

The emphatic transition bucket brought the depleted Cavs within two points over the Pacers as the first quarter diminished. Although the Cavaliers already clinched the top record in the conference, Thompson's effort play exemplifies the energy Cleveland needs as the playoffs approach. The Cavaliers' veteran leadership has instilled a winning culture, helping craft a record-setting regular season.

Throughout this season, Thompson has appeared in 38 games, averaging 1.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in roughly 7 minutes per game. The majority of his minutes have been during garbage time, but his locker room presence has been an underappreciated facet of Cleveland's modern successes. In a recent interview with Cleveland Magazine, Thompson discussed his role as an experienced and battle-tested mentor to All-Star point guard Darius Garland.

When asked about resting four starters, Atkinson confirmed that the Cavaliers stars will be available against the New York Knicks for a Friday night game Rather than going through the motions, Thompson took full advantage of the added opportunity, shifting the momentum into Cleveland's favor against a talented playoff rival.

Cleveland will travel to Madison Square Garden to meet the New York Knicks for the latter half of the back-to-back before finishing the regular season campaign by hosting the Pacers at Rocket Arena on Sunday, April 13 in an exciting finale.