At the Buzzer: R3G2 — Celtics 126, Pacers 110
The Pacers led at the end of the first quarter. But then the Celtics went on a 17-0 burst and answered every Pacers run. Haliburton left the game early with left hamstring soreness.
The Indiana Pacers know they messed up big time when they coughed up Game 1 due to 22 turnovers. There was blame to go all around. Despite that, they’re a confident group and know that they can compete with the 64-win Boston Celtics — and potentially return home with a series split. But they had a lot to clean up.
“I think I was pissed (Tuesday), very frustrated at myself just because I felt like I let that one get away,” Tyrese Haliburton said on Wednesday. “I feel like I was a big reason for that getting away from us as a group. But I think what I've learned in this playoff run is that you just got to move on.”
Added Rick Carlisle: “We're disappointed but not dismayed.”
All the pressure is on the Celtics, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, to do what they’re supposed to do…
The game officials were Scott Foster, James Williams, Sean Wright, Brian Forte (alternate).
The Celtics were without Kristaps Porzingis (right calf strain). He's missed eight of 12 playoff games, but could return for this series. Xavier Tillman (personal reasons) was available after missing Game 1. Only Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder rehab) out for the Pacers.
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🏀How it happened: The lead changed hands 10 times in the first quarter with the Pacers finding success early inside the arc. Myles Turner picked up two fouls (both offensive fouls) just 6:15 into the game and was a non-factor with eight points and four rebounds. But even before he exited, the Celtics got to the rim without much resistance. Worst than that was how the Celtics hit the glass early and often; six of their first eight rebounds were on the offensive end.
The Pacers led by two, then they were hit by a dry spell combined with a Celtics avalanche of scoring — from Jaylen Brown in particular. He scored 17 of his 40 points in the quarter as the Celtics ran off 17 unanswered points to begin the second frame. Carlisle used three timeouts in a nine-minute span and at this point, it just didn’t appear to be the Pacers’ night.
Twenty of the Celtics’ first 42 points came in the paint and the Pacers were slow to stop the bleeding. After two shots (and two makes) in the first quarter, they finally went back to Pascal Siakam, who was the only Pacer to have a good showing. He ended the half by delivering the Pacers’ final 10 points over a two-minute stretch. Despite a crummy start to the quarter, they had to feel good heading to the locker room only down by six.
Brown and Jayson Tatum played the entire third quarter as the Celtics continued to keep their foot down and hunt matchups. Yes, rebounding was a problem. But so was their defensive disposition. They lacked an attitude and a fight to get stops. Aaron Nesmith then joined Turner on the bench with foul trouble and the crowd at TD Garden finally came alive when Payton Pritchard helped a Celtics surge in the quarter.
With 3:44 left in the third, Haliburton exited the game for good with left hamstring soreness — the same injury that kept him out for most of January. And already, he was dealing with a sore chest from a hard hit in the first half.
Then in the fourth quarter, the Pacers conceded the game earlier than you’d expect in the postseason. Siakam was subbed out down by 17 with 9:25 to play. Doug McDermott, who is out of the playoff rotation and played very little, played the entire quarter whereas Nesmith and Turner didn’t play one second.
Yes, Haliburton (10 points, eight assists) was out, but we know how quickly this team can score. But they had already moved on to Game 3.
Of note, it was their fourth game in seven days and in three different cities. (Meanwhile, the Celtics were relaxing at home for the week before this series.)