Rienk Mast wasted little time making his presence felt in NBA Summer League play.
In his professional debut Friday in Las Vegas, the former Husker center delivered a double-double for the Indiana Pacers, finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 32 minutes. Indiana rode that effort to a 99-93 win over Cleveland.
Mast was efficient enough to give the Pacers exactly what they needed. He went 6-for-12 from the field and 1-of-6 from 3-point range, while leading Indiana on the glass. Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg was in the crowd, along with former teammates Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager.
"I know I'm not a draft pick so I'm not out here to take all the shine," Mast said in a postgame interview. "I'll let those other guys do it.
I've gotta do my job, I've got to work hard, crash the glass, and that went well today. I'm pretty happy with today."
Mast is on an exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers, a minimum contract that gives teams a chance to evaluate players during summer league and training camp. Those deals can be turned into two-way contracts and can also include bonuses if a player is waived and later spends time with a G-League team.
He’s one of four former Huskers in July’s NBA Summer League. Josiah Allick is with the Charlotte Hornets, Brice Williams is with the Detroit Pistons and Sam Hoiberg is with the Phoenix Suns.
Mast and Indiana are back in action Saturday against Philadelphia. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. CT, with the game on Prime Video.
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