ORLANDO, Fla. — Alize Johnson is making the most of his time in the NBA bubble.
"I was just so grateful to be out there and I just tried to take advantage of the time I got," Johnson said. "It's one of those things where you just get trust from your coach and maybe he might want to throw you out there during the playoffs. I don't know and I'll just have to stay ready and see how things pan out."
Things are panning out so far for the Pacers' second year pro. In a career high 38 minutes, the Williamsport-native recorded his first career double-double – 11 points and 17 rebounds in a 109-92 win over the Miami Heat – the same team Indiana faces in the first round of the playoffs. Johnson has come a long way since his days at St. John Neumann, but he says he's just scratching the surface of his potential.
"I think I got more in me and I'm just going to build off what I've done so far, just bringing that energy when I go out there and play, just showing that I want to be out there," Johnson said. "I want to help the team win. I'm not just about myself. I'm about the Pacers."
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He's also about playing the game safely. Johnson thinks the isolation is helping to keep everyone healthy. He said life inside the NBA bubble may be a bit different, even a bit boring, but it's working.
"We get tested every day,' he explained. "Before I start my day, I have to take my temperature. They give us this little stuff right here and take my temperature and then I go over to the center and they do a test on me. Everyone's results are coming back the right way."
So Johnson can stay safe and stay focused.
"We can win a championship," Johnson said. "Our team is really good and we've got a really great group of guys and a really good team. So, you can literally throw anybody out there on this Pacers team and they're going to go out there and play hard and we're going to stick together and try to get a win."
Only 16 more for that championship.